Past Incarnation
by Azi
Summary: Clow had already lost his wife, he couldn't lose her too. It's amazing what we'll do for the ones we love - especially when we use magic. Of course, we don't always think about how it affects the future.
1. Golden Era

**Concept: **Take what we know as Sakura's present day and shove it into the future about 200 years (give or take.) Assume that Syaoran officially left Japan at the age of 12…it makes math easier. Here's where it gets tricky: Syaoran and Sakura both knew that they loved each other when he left, BUT something happened (to be explained later) that caused them and those who knew them to forget about it. So…Sakura and Syaoran are friends (who occasionally correspond) who subconsciously love each other and no one is trying to get them together because nobody knows anything about the two of them and love. If that doesn't make any sense, mail me and I'll try to explain.   


**Notes: **I get sick of reading stuff before and after stories, so I'm going to try to leave notes out if I can. I'll put REALLY important things in before the actual story but otherwise I'm refraining. If there are repetitive questions, I'll deal with them in an add-on when I'm finished writing the entire story (in a bout 6 months...writing by hand first) so you can avoid them if you want. I'm also refraining from using most Japanese words that other people use: I don't know the language and would probably get something very wrong. Reviews are not necessary but certainly welcomed if you want. -- Ella   


**Disclaimer: **If I had a million dollars, I'd buy CLAMP. Since I don't, I can't and therefore: I don't own Card Captor Sakura. (sigh)   
  
  
  


_Past Incarnation_

by Ella 

_A Golden Era_

  
  
  
  
  
  


JAPAN   


Sakura laughed as she spun around under a cherry blossom tree. This was her favorite time of the year and she was happy. Besides, she had finished her training early for once. Having enjoyed herself for a moment, the young woman stopped in her spot, her almost shoulder-length auburn hair caught up to her, blowing across her face in the wind. Those watching her couldn't tell if it was her looks or her happiness that made her so beautiful. Suddenly, she took off at a full sprint, narrowly avoiding crashing headlong into a young man who had been staring at her. 

Anyone who didn't know her would have thought she was insane. Her friends, however, could guess exactly what was going through her head. The young man laughed – something he hadn't done in years. 'She hasn't changed a bit, always skating everywhere. I wonder where she's going?' he thought as he walked back toward an older woman. 'It's late enough in the year that her classes should be finished by now.' 

'Oh, no! I'm going to be late!' thought Sakura. 'Today is my father's lecture and I _promised_ him I would be there early.' 

**************** 

Sakura ran into one of the university lecture halls and sat down next to her best friend. Her roller blades became the occupants of the seat to her left. 

"Sakura-chan, you're early!" Tomoyo exclaimed. "Well, then again, you've rarely been late since you started training nine years ago. I mean, ever since Li-kun left, it's like you've taken his place in the 'never late' category." 

Sakura laughed. "He was quite an inspiration. To think, a person could get so much done, and still show up for class on time! At the time, I had no idea how he could do it, it was so hard to get up that early. But now, I even have time to shower and sit down for breakfast after I train in the morning." She laughed again, "Proof that people can change." 

"Well then, I guess Li-kun was good for something after all." Tomoyo replied, thinking once again that something just wasn't quite right. She still couldn't figure out what it was that part of her thought was very wrong, so she gave up the thought and paid attention to her friend. 

"Tomoyo-chan! That's not fair! He was – he _is_ – our friend. Besides, he helped us so many times we should be thanking him for our lives…" 

"Maybe we will someday," the dark-haired girl replied. "Meiling told me that he is being considered for a Decision Maker position. I guess his mother is thinking about retiring. Everyone is just a little worried about his attitude though. He probably still doesn't warm up to people very easily." 

Sakura cocked her head in thought for a second before responding, "Li-kun would make a great Decision Maker! He really is a good-hearted person, even is he does seem to have a cold exterior. He just needs to find more friends in Hong Kong so other people can see his nicer side." Sakura lost herself in memories of her childhood, remembering fondly the times when all her friends were in Japan. 

"Look Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo pointed at the platform at the front of the room. "There's your father. I guess the lecture is about to begin." 

**************** 

Kinomoto Fujitaka entered the lecture hall with a bit of apprehension. It had been almost five years since he had given a lecture of any sort – other than the ones given to his children with they fight too much. No matter how much public speaking he had done with his new job, a lecture was different. 'Whatever convinced me to do this?' he asked himself. 'I must have been crazy when I agreed.' 

The former professor stepped up to the platform and the room instantly became silent. He paused before speaking. Taking time to look around the room, he saw his daughter sitting near the front with her best friend. She smiled confidently at him, knowing he must be a little nervous, and he relaxed. 'She's just like her mother,' he thought as he shuffled his papers. 

"Good morning ladies and gentleman. You all know who I am and why we are here, so I suppose I shall begin." With this opening comment Fujitaka launched into his lecture on the idea behind the creation of the Golden Era. 

"As you well know, over a hundred years ago, the world was riddled with wars. People fought over land, religious beliefs, culture, intellectual property and any other cause and angry man could get others to support. It seemed like it was humankind's nature to fight. There was, at the time, a small council of people from all over the world who tried to bring the wars to an end. Unfortunately, nothing they tried succeeded." Here, Fujitaka described the many efforts of the group of men and women. 

"As despair of ever finding a solution began to set in, a young woman from a North Western country developed an idea that just might work. She made sure she had a clear plan before she brought the idea to the council. The concept was based on co-operation and kind-heartedness. The main idea was to remove corruption from influential positions by eliminating those positions that offered too much power. From then on, each country would have _two_ leaders called Decision Makers. Their titles were not to have too much importance placed on them so people would not become power hungry. 

"The position of a Decision Maker would be a life term unless the person decided to retire or became corrupted and greedy. They were to be respected but in return were to respect all citizens of the their own country and of the world equally. It was a suggestion rooted in the Socialist concept of the time. Everyone would have a job with equal pay all over the world and all debts would be wiped clean to offer a fresh start. There would be less emphasis on money to make it more possible to take care of everybody. 

"The idea met with little resistance. The world seemed ready for a drastic change and it was better than destroying the planet. People all over the world were actually willing to overthrow their own government if it meant a chance for peace. The only problem the council had was in choosing the Decision Makers. If they left that to the current powers, the new leaders would surely be corrupt. If they left it to the people, they would fight amongst themselves and push the planet even closer to the brink of destruction. The history books say that the same girl who formed the concept had the solution to this problem as well. She was hesitant to bring it up, but finally she suggested something that seemed insane."   


FLASHBACK   
  
A girl of about twenty years stood in front of men and women from all over the world. They looked at her expectantly as if waiting for her to say something important. She paused, biting her lower lip. Finally, she spoke up, "You _could_ enlist the help of a sorcerer." The room became eerily silent, as the people looked her with disbelief. She sighed. "There are some people on this planet who have the power to manipulate things using powers most of us do not understand and refuse to believe in or accept. They can find the truth inside people – well, some of them can at least. What I suggest is that we ask one of these sorcerers or magicians to help us find two people from each country who are gifted with sagacity and kindness. These people will be the first Decision Makers. After that, they must agree on their replacements." END FLASHBACK Fujitaka paused to take a drink and started again. "She suggested using magic to find the first candidates. After that the Decision Makers would have to agree on their replacements before they died or retired. If one Decision Maker were accused of corruption, a trial would determine the validity of the accusation. If the defendant was deemed corrupt, he or she would be forced to step down and one Decision Maker from each country would help to choose his or her successor. "The council took a long time to warm up to the idea of the existence of magic but finally accepted it. They enlisted the help of the Reed family from England. The family had been rumored to possess magical abilities for centuries. The family pulled through and the Decision Makers were finally chosen three years after the young woman made her original proposition. "After much searching, the chosen leaders of the New World were found and given their instructions – make all decisions jointly and for the good of your people – and sent off to their new jobs with very little pomp and circumstance. "This new way of managing things agreed with the world and sent us into a Golden Era. World scientists have managed to reduce pollution, find cures for many diseases and generate power in a far more cost efficient and environmentally friendly manner. By eliminating the focus on money and status, poverty and hunger have been squashed and more people can afford higher education. "The success of this plan causes many people to hope that the Golden Era of peace will last for centuries to come. Now, I hope I have not put you to sleep. I will answer any questions you wish to pose." Fujitaka stopped and looked at his audience, waiting for someone to speak. A young man nervously stood up. "Decision Maker Kinomoto, what do you need to become a candidate for the position?" 

Fujitaka looked at the man and smiled. "That's a very good question. We look for people who are not only smart, but know the way of the world; people who know what is inside the hearts and minds of others. We want our replacements to be caring, generous and even affectionate. My partner and I feel that showing affection – whether to our families, a stranger or even just a pet – helps others to know that we are just like them. We look for those who are not proud and who would listen to their consciences no matter what others say. There is no such thing as a perfect Decision Maker; just people who try hard to do their best in order to help their people. Does that answer you question?" 

The young man nodded and took his seat thinking that one day even he might get the chance to help shape his country. 

A young lady rose to ask, "Were you surprised when you were offered the position?" 

This made the man laugh. "Very," he said, his voice shaking while he chuckled. "I had no idea I was even being considered. I spent my time taking care of my children, trying to give them the best life I could. I was unprepared when my predecessor told me I was chosen as her replacement. I told her I'd have to think about it – I have a feeling she was not prepared for that response," Fujitaka said smiling at the memory. 

After a few more questions, the lecture finally drew to an end. Sakura and Tomoyo waited until the crowd thinned before approaching the auburn-haired girl's father. 

"Will you walk me home daughter?" the man asked, smiling at the two young women before him. 

"Of course," Sakura smiled. "Tomoyo-chan, are you coming?" 

"I have a few errands to run, I'll meet you at your house in time for dinner." With that, the dark-haired girl turned and left the hall. 

**************** 

THE DISTANT WEST 

A man in dark clothing turned a corner to find a youth of about twenty-three exiting a room. "So Evison, your father has…passed away?" he asked as if he knew the answer. The voice had a hint of darkness to it, just enough to scare anyone who overheard it. 

The youth smiled darkly and replied, "Yes. He died last night of – natural causes. No one will expect otherwise thanks to your plan and his 'extended illness', Decision Maker." 

"I guess then, it is time to tell the public the sad news and then introduce their newest Decision Maker." As the man turned away, he disappeared right before Evison's eyes. 


	2. Reunion

**Disclaimer: **(sigh) I'm not creative enough to come up with characters on my own so I butcher other people's creations. These characters happen to belong to CLAMP which owns Card Captor Sakura. I am using them only for entertainment.   
  
  


_Past Incarnation_

by Ella 

_Chapter 2: Reunion_

  
  
  


JAPAN 

Sakura slowly skated next to her father. They were talking about the lecture and Fujitaka's plans for the future of Japan while heading toward home. They continued in this manner – Sakura's hand resting gently on her father's arm – until they were half way home. They had turned to take a path through a park without really noticing – it was Fujitaka's favorite place to relax. 

Suddenly, Sakura let go of her father's arm and whipped around behind him. "Who are you and what do you want with my father?" she almost shouted at a young man about her age. She glared at him, willing him to answer to her liking yet daring him not to. She was ready for a fight. 'The nerve of him: following my father and I like that. Really, you'd think people would have a little more respect and just show themselves instead of sneaking up on others.' There was no way Sakura was going to let this young man hurt her father and she made sure he knew it. 

After a couple long seconds a woman spoke up with just a hint of laughter in her voice, "Well done Ying Fa. I see your training has served you well." The woman had noted Sakura's roller blades and was impressed that the girl managed to stop so quickly when she turned with such force. Then again, her son had told her that the girl standing before them had been roller blading since she was little. "Very few people can sense my son when he is trying not to be noticed." 

"Li Yelan?" Sakura asked. The woman nodded. A smile spread across Sakura's face as she bowed to the Decision Maker. "It is a pleasure to see you again. But, if you don't mind my asking, why are you here? Should you not be in Hong Kong right now?" 

"We came for a social visit." Yelan replied, smiling at Sakura in return. "Although we may be staying longer then expected if my son continues to stand there with his jaw hanging open. Something tells me he did not expect you to notice his presence before he wanted you to," a small chuckle escaped from Yelan's lips as Sakura returned her attention to the young man in front of her. 

"Li-kun?" Sakura noted that he did look rather shocked but, at the mention of his name, he snapped out of it and his eyes actually focused on the woman in front of him. "You're so much taller than the last time I saw you, I didn't recognize you. Then again, your hair should have given you away." Sakura giggled with her last line, remembering all the times she had teased her friend about his rather unruly hair. 

"Yes it's me. And I'm not the only one who's grown…" the young man replied and then frowned. "But tell me, were we not friends before I left? I thought we were." He looked almost hurt. 

Sakura tilted her head just a little, as if in thought. She was trying to determine the best way to answer his question. "Of course we were Syaoran-kun! I just didn't want to offend you. You are, after all, a member of the great Li clan and the son of a very wise Decision Maker. I am just – " 

"Just? Sakura-san have you forgotten that you are a very powerful sorceress _and_ the daughter of a well-respected Decision Maker?" For some reason, Syaoran couldn't stand hearing Sakura say that she was unimportant - it just seemed wrong. 

Sakura was about to respond when Yelan cut in, "Children, please stop. If this continues much further, your parents will be blushing from all the flattery you are throwing their way." At this reprimand, both youths turned away with a slight rose tinge on their cheeks. 

Fujitaka, who – to this point – had taken everything in stride, finally decided it was his turn to speak. "Well, if we are through with the delays, we should be on our way. I am sure Tomoyo-san will be waiting for us at the house. Would you care to join us for dinner?" he asked Yelan as he offered her his arm. 

The lady nodded. "We would be honored to share a meal with you and your family." Having said that, Yelan took Fujitaka's offered arm and the two adults headed through the park to Fujitaka's home. 

The two twenty-one-year-olds watched their parents in amazement, then shook off their wonder before looking at each other. 

"Shall we?" Syaoran asked offering his arm. 

"Of course," Sakura replied, smiling as she gracefully took his arm. 

They both felt a little jolt as they touched. It was as though something familiar was trying to return but they both ignored it and started to discuss the nine years that had passed. 

They were still following their parents – who were taking a _very_ indirect route to the Kinomoto residence. Sakura, wanting to get a better look at the young man who had been a childhood friend, had started to skate backwards in front of him while they talked. 'He really did grow up quite handsome,' she thought as she automatically turned to cross a street, not really noticing the traffic. 

Suddenly, Syaoran reached out, grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him. The force of the motion (which met with less friction because of Sakura's skates) caused her to crash into him and in her struggle to catch her balance, her arms wrapped around his neck. For a brief second, their lips met and they both felt the little jolt again. 

As soon as Sakura regained her balance, she let go of Syaoran and turned around. To her astonishment, she saw a large truck passing by exactly where she would have been if Syaoran hadn't saved her. She turned to her savior, her wide green eyes filled with fear. "Thank you, Syaoran," she managed to say before tears overcame her. 

Syaoran couldn't stand seeing Sakura looking so scared and her tears were enough to melt anyone's cold exterior. He gently wrapped his arms around her while quietly saying, "It's okay Sakura. I would never let anything hurt you. You're too important." He paused, wondering where that last comment had some from but shrugged it off. Then he made her look at him, "Everything will be okay Sakura, just please stop crying." 

She gave him a watery smile and thanked him again as he wiped the tears from her face, hoping that he would see her smile happily again soon. 

Neither teen noticed the two adults standing on the other side of the street, both deep in thought. 

Fujitaka was thinking about how precious life is: especially that of his daughter who reminded him so much of his late wife. He was sinking into a world of 'what if?' where his only daughter was just hit by a truck. He saw despair wherever he looked. Life would become miserable for him and his son: there would be no joy or sunshine anymore. Just as he thought this, something pulled him out of his thoughts before his despair deepend so much that he would get stuck in them. He wondered how it happened and then, for just a fleeting moment, he could feel his wife's presence. He felt that she was telling him never to do that again. He smiled, knowing his wife was correct. Everything would be just fine. After all, his daughter was still alive thanks to the young man who had saved her life so many times before when they were younger. 

Yelan noted her son's behavior with interest. In China, he was generally reserved, but here in Japan, he becaome a completely different person. He actually tried to sneak up on a friend in order to scare her. That was something he never did at home; he didn't even pull pranks on his older sisters as a child. He smiled earlier today and just now he had shown both embarrasment and compassion. Yelan chuckled, remembering the brief second when Sakura's lips had touched her son's. They were both too preoccupied to even notice, yet the astute mother could tell that Syaoran had felt something. She wouldn't be surprised if Sakura had felt something as well. 'Maybe staying in Japan for a while is exactly what he needs to bring out his sensitive side,' she thought as the two youths crossed the street. 

Sakura raced to hug her father after she finally made it to the other side of the street. She had gone slowly and made Syaoran stick close to her the whole time, but now, she needed her father to know that she was still in one piece. 

As Fujitaka held his daughter, Yelan asked, "Are you okay Sakura-san?" 

Sakura smiled shakily and replied, "I'm not hurt, but I am a little shaken. Thank you for asking." 

"Anyone would be shaken after that, child. We really should get you home so you can rest." She turned to her son and ordered, "Syaoran, hold her up and this time make sure she doesn't even come close to being in danger." 

Syaoran winced at his mother's words, feeling the full meaning of what she said. It _was_ his fault, he wasn't paying attention. Nevertheless, he meekly followed his mother's orders, hoping that Fujitaka wouldn't hate him for almost letting his daughter come to harm. 

The rest of the walk to the Kinomoto home was quick and eventless, much to everyone's relief. The latecomers were greeted by a frantic Tomoyo who looked like she was about to jump out of her skin. 

"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura greeted her friend cheerfully. 

"Sakura-chan! Are you okay? Where have you been? You should have been home _ages_ ago! I was so worried! Are you sure you're okay? Touya-san is almost out of his mind with worry AND he says that you've probably ruined dinner since it was ready before I got here. Kero-chan is about to burst - he's so hungry and he was afraid something had happened to you! Are you really sure you're okay? I thought something bad had happened. You know, I was just about to call the police and tell them that you and your father had gone missing!" Tomoyo finally stopped to take a breath. 

"Well, we are here now and we brought guests," Fujitaka said, brishing off Tomoyo's outburst. She had started worrying more over since he had been offered the Decision Maker position. As far as Fujitaka could tell, it was because he and his family refused bodyguards or any other type of protection every time someone suggested it. Fujitaka trusted his people, even if others occasionally thought there might be a threat. Sakura thought it might have more to do with the visions Tomoyo started have about five years ago. 'Did Tomoyo-chan see my colse call? Is that why she's so worried?' 

"Guests?" Tomoyo finally started to notice the two people with Sakura and her father. "Li-kun! elcome back!" she exclaimed as she ran over to hug him - a response he hadn't expected. Tomoyo looked at the woman behind Syaoran and turned red. She released the boy - who was now gasping for breath - from her death grip and turned to his mother. "Li Yelan, what an honor to have you visit," she said bowing. "I must go tell Touya-san we have guests." With that, Tomoyo entered the house with a twinkle in her eyes. 

As the four weary and bewildered people entered the house they could hear a bellow from the kitchen. "Guests! Why didn't you tell me earlier? I would have cooked more!" 

"Because I just found out," was Tomoyo's simple response to her friend's older brother. 

Touya walked into the sitting room where his eyes immediately fell on Syaoran. "Gaki! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Hong Kong bothering other people's sisters?" Touya started to glare at Syaoran but was shocked out of his rude behavior by the boy's response. 

"My mother thought she would pay a visit to your father and for some reason, she brought me with her. Trust me, I don't want to be in your presence any more than you want to be in mine, but your father _invited_ us to eat with his family. Unfortunately, that includes you." 

Touya's eyes shifted to the other unexpected guest in the house and he quickly bowed saying, "I'm so sorry, I'll just go back to the kitchen and finish making dinner." He retreated to the kitchen where he found Tomoyo working miracles. "You could have told me who it was." 

"I know," Tomoyo smiled. "But your little scene was far more fun than it would have been if I had told you." 

**************** 

Dinner passed rather uneventfully, likely due to the presence of Li Yelan. Touya and Syaoran did not dare glare at each other in the presence of the formidable Decision Maker. At least Touya did not dare. Syaoran felt that Sakura and Tomoyo would never forgive him if he ruined the little 'reunion' they were having. He also knew that his mother would not approve of such childish behavior. 

As dinner drew to an end, Touya's friend Yukito rose to excuse himself, "If you will excuse me, I have a few errands to run before I go home tonight." He turned to Touya as everyone wished a pleasent evening, "Try not to kill anyone," he looked at Syaoran, "before you go home tonight." Yukito then crossed the room, wishing everyone a good night, and left. 

Touya frowned at his friend's back as the door closed behind the silver haired man. 'I should kill the gaki,' he thought to himself. 'Really, he's caused nothing but trouble for us and he's always so mean to Sakura.' Touya hadn't noticed that Syaoran had protected his sister when they were younger. He hadn't wanted to notice that the boy he blamed for all Sakura's troubles was actually one of her best friends. He didn't pay attention enough or else he would have seen Syaoran being very polite to Sakura, Touya would have known how nice Syaoran was to his sister. 

Sakura giggled at Yukito's warning, "So you _are_ going home tonight?" she asked. As if her own question reminded her of something else, she turned to Yelan and asked her another question before Touya had time to answer her first. "May I ask? Where are you and Syaoran-kun staying tonight?" 

Yelan smiled, "Actually Sakura-san, we had not thought about where we were staying tonight before we came." 

Syaoran's head snapped at this. He was sure his mother had made reservations at some hotel or another before they came. It was not like her to leave details to chance. He glanced at his mother, but she seemed unwilling to look back at him. 

"I had reserved rooms for the rest of the week, but I had not expected to be in Japan before tomorrow. We managed to catch an earlier flight due to cancellations." She hoped her son would not catch her in the obvious lie. She had already sent someone to check into the hotel for them so they would not lose their rooms. She wanted more time to observe Syaoran with his friends. She really needed him to be near his friends in order to do so. 

Sakura looked at her father hopefully, "Perhaps they could stay here for the night? We have an extra room that Li Yelan can stay in since Touya doesn't live here anymore." 

"And just where do you propose the gaki sleep?" Touya's voice showed how close he was to yelling at his younger sister. 

Sakura glared at her brother for a second before she responded. "Syaoran-kun can stay in my room a-" 

"WHAT!?" Touya really did yell this time. He did not like his sister's idea at all. 

"...and Tomoyo-chan and I will sleep in the office. That is if you don't mind?" Sakura finished her sentence and turned to her father. "She was going to stay the night anyway. We'll have more room if we set up a couple cots to sleep on downstairs than if we both try to sleep in my room." 

"If our guests don't have a problem with those arrangements, I don't see any reason why I should," Fujitaka replied to his daughter's questioning offer. "And neither should you," the man told his son who looked like he was going to explode with anger or frustration...maybe both. 

'No one ever listens to me around here. He just shouldn't be in her room at all.' Touya knew it was pointless to argue so he admitted defeat by excusing himself and leaving for the night. 

**************** 

Sakura collected the clothes she would need for the night and left her room saying goodnight to Syaoran. On her way down to the office she remembered she wanted to ask Tomoyo why she was so worried. As she stepped in the room her best friend took one look at her and started to speak. 

"Yes Sakura-chan, I did see you almost getting hit by a truck today. I was on my way to your house after my errands when it happened. I was very worried because you weren't home when I get here. Touya-san had no idea where you were and Kero-chan felt something wrong so I started to panic." 

"Well, I'm fine. Besides, Syaoran-kun saved me, just like he always does when I'm in trouble." 

"You know Sakura-chan, nothing would have happened if you hadn't been staring at him instead of paying attention to where you were going." Tomoyo lectured her friend knowing full well that it wouldn't make a difference. 

Sakura's eyes widened, "You saw that too? I-I just wanted to get a better look at him. I haven't seen him for years, I wanted to see how much he had changed..." Sakura drifted off, lost in her thoughts. 

"You could have waited until you were home," Tomoyo forgave her friend, knowing that Sakura was uncomfortable. "Anyway, it's time you got some sleep; you have to get up for training tomorrow morning." 

Sakura went to sleep wondering what it would be like to train with Syaoran the next morning.   
  



	3. Warning

**Disclaimer: **The people who own CCS write stories for money; I write stories for free entertainment. If I did own CCS, I'd be rich. 

_Past Incarnation_

by Ella 

_Chapter 3: Warning_

  
  
  
  
  


THE DISTANT WEST 

"It is with much sadness that I must tell you that my partner had passed away. He died last night in his sleep and, the doctors inform me, he felt no pain. We were aware that this might happen because of his long-term illness. He spent many of his last days searching for a suitable replacement. It is with pride that I present to you – a great man's choice that he intended to reveal to you today – Evison Stuart. May he be as wise and just as his father was." The owner of the voice – Belen Nawat – worked hard to cover the distinct darkness that had crept into him ever since he made a fateful decision twenty-five years ago.   


FLASHBACK 

A young man stood looking out a window at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen…and her lover. This woman was even more beautiful than the Japanese woman he had loved in his teens. He sighed, "Always second best." He was handsome and had proven his intelligence and strength on many occasions, but he could still never get her to notice him. The young man lost everything to **him**. 'Well, almost everything, I lost Nadeshiko to someone else.' He sighed again. 

_"I can change all that."_

"Who said that? There's no one here. I _know_ the room is empty. I'm always alone here." 

_"You're never alone. I'm always with you. I can make _her_ be with you too. I can give you power."_

"What kind of power?" 

"Power beyond your imagination: the power to change everything. People would respect you. All you have to do is let me in." 

The young man thought about it. 'Power…respect…the credit I deserve…and **her**!' "Fine the, you have a deal. I want to be a Decision Maker." 

_"Easy enough – you _will _be one."_

END FALSHBACK   


A twenty-three-year-old boy stepped forward to speak at the podium. He looked nervously at his prepared speech – this was a moment he could not ruin. The entire plan hinged on his people believing he was a good person. 

"First of all, I would like to thank you all for being here in my family's time of need. My sisters and I share your grief at the loss of my father…" He paused for a moment overcome with grief. "I can only hope that you will support me as you did my father and I sincerely wish that I can me the replacement he expected me to be…"   


JAPAN _(Earlier that day)_

Sakura ran up the stairs from the office – where she and Tomoyo had spent the night – to her bedroom – where Syaoran had slept. She had forgotten her training clothes when she moved her things downstairs the night before. Without thinking, she flung open her door when she reached it, then she froze. She blushed as she realized that she had walked in on Syaoran while he was changing. "S-sorry Sh-syaoran-kun. I forgot you were here." She stumbled over her words until she got over her embarrassment. 

Syaoran had just finished pulling on his training pants when the door opened behind him. He still didn't have a shirt on but it didn't bother him because his sisters and Meiling always walked in on him while he was changing. He figured it was just Sakura coming to get him even though he wasn't late yet. He turned around as she apologized and froze when he saw her. He blushed, 'She's still in her pajamas. She apologized Syaoran: say something.' 

"That's okay Sakura-san, I'm used to it," he responded, then tilted his head with a questioning look. "You sleep in that?" 

Sakura looked at what she was wearing and blushed again. She had forgotten that she was wearing the knee-length slip style nightgown that Tomoyo had made for her. She nodded at Syaoran and then looked up at him. "I forgot my training clothes last night, can I come in and get them?" 

Syaoran looked around the room until he spotted the stack of clothes that Sakura had obviously set aside for the morning. He smiled at Sakura. "You could," he said as he waved a hand at the clothes, "but then you'd be late for training." The clothes disappeared and in their place was the pink nightgown Sakura had been wearing. 

"Hoe!" Sakura shrieked as she noticed she wasn't wearing her pajamas anymore. She looked down at herself and saw that she was now wearing her training clothes. "You could have warned me! How did you do hat?" 

Syaoran laughed, "You're right, but this way was more fun." Sobering up a little he added, "It was a little trick I learned to make my sisters get ready faster. I really hated waiting two hours while they got dressed to go grocery shopping." He picked up his shirt and put it on as he said, "We had better get going. At this rate, I could be noon before we even start training." 

Sakura giggled, "That wouldn't be good. I have plans." 

Li Yelan watched her son and his friend race down the stairs. 'It's good to hear him laugh,' she thought. 'I don't think I've heard him laugh since he was a baby.' She walked down the stairs thinking that she would watch the friends train. 

~~~ 

Tomoyo was just finishing her stretched when Sakura and Syaoran reached the training grounds. Sakura put a protective barrier around her part of the garden while Syaoran stretched and Tomoyo practiced a few moves she had learned the week before. While Sakura stretched, Syaoran asked Tomoyo why she was there. 

It's Saturday. Sakura-chan always lets me train with her on Saturdays. She says that I should know how to protect myself and that it will help me focus." She noticed Syaoran open his mouth to ask something else when she added, "Just over five years ago." 

He looked at her, surprised, and asked, "How did you know I was going to ask that?" 

"I just did," Tomoyo answered as she rose to challenge Sakura. 

Syaoran watched as the two girls fought. 'She's better than I expected but Sakura is obviously going easy on her.' He focused of Sakura's movements thinking about how much she has improved. 'Sakura may even be able to beat me.' 

After they finished, Sakura beckoned Syaoran over to them. When he reached the girls, Sakura smiled and said, "Your turn." She took the two swords and left indicating that he and Tomoyo would fight without weapons. 

As they fought, Syaoran became impressed with Tomoyo's strength and speed. 'I would not have thought Daidouji-san could fight this well a day ago. It's almost like she knows what I'm going to do before I do it. She has no magic though…' He hadn't really been paying attention be he did notice that Tomoyo didn't block his last strike when she should have. He stopped his attack inched from her face. 

"Tomoyo-chan! Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura ran toward her two friends thinking that this never happens during training. 'I hope it's nothing bad,' she thought as she supported a weak Tomoyo. She helped her friend back to the bench where Yelan was sitting. "We'll talk about this when you feel better Tomoyo-chan." 

Tomoyo smiled at her weakly as Sakura turned away. 

"Sakura-san," Yelan said as the woman took charge of Tomoyo. Sakura looked back to see her friend's mother holding out two swords. "You should continue practicing – my son needs the exercise. I'll take care of Daidouji-san until you're done." 

Sakura took the swords with a bow and walked back toward the center of the training ground. She saw the question on Syaoran's face. "She'll be fine. We'll talk about it later." She looked back to see Tomoyo crying in Yelan's arms. 'It must be something bad.' 

The two sorcerers practiced a few moved side by side and then turned to face each other. They fought for a while with their swords and then for quite a while without. Eventually, Sakura picked up her sword and motioned for Syaoran to do the same. 

"Let's play a little game," she said when he had his sword in his hand. She noticed he didn't say anything. "Syaoran-kun?" she asked. He grinned and nodded his agreement to her suggestion. Seconds later a maze sprung up around them, formed from a variety of plant life. "First one to land a blow of any sort wins. Anything goes." She started to run to one of the corners as soon as she finished talking. 

She hid her aura and then searched for Syaoran's green aura. She could feel him coming through the walls. She laughed, "They grow back, you know. You might get stuck." 

"Keep talking Sakura, I'll find you." Syaoran said as he came through the last wall. Sakura blocked his strike and called upon fly to escape. 

This time Sakura ran through the maze until she found her prey but she didn't notice the foot coming at her until it struck. She fell back and the maze disappeared. Standing up, she asked, "How about another round?" 

Her opponent laughed, "You must be a sucker for punishment." Nevertheless, he agreed. 

Instead of the botanical maze Syaoran expected, Sakura called on the maze card and the illusion card. The Maze separated the two again and the Illusion card showed copies of both Sakura and Syaoran running through the maze at random. 

Sakura laughed again. "You know Syaoran, the last time I used these cards together was when I transformed them," she said as she ran through the maze. 

"You know, if you keep talking, I _will_ be able to find you." Syaoran commented. 

"I know," Sakura replied as she turned around and kicked him square on the back with just enough force to knock him off his feet. 

Syaoran scrambled to his feet trying to figure out what hit him. Seeing Sakura behind him, he smiled and said "I give up." 

The cards returned to their normal forms and the maze and illusions disappeared. The two youths bowed to each other then walked toward Tomoyo and Yelan. 

Kneeling beside her best friend, Sakura asked what is had been, a look of concern showed clearly in her eyes. 

Tomoyo looked at her, eyes brimming with tears and full of fear. "Something terrible has happened – _will happen_ – in the Distant West." 

~~~ 

They sat staring at Tomoyo who lay resting on the sofa. The girl shifted uncomfortably under all the eyes. 

Finally, Sakura broke the silence, "Tomoyo-chan?" her friend looked up at her in response. "What do you mean when you say 'something terrible?'" 

Tomoyo shuddered as a thousand images flitted through her mind in response. She could feel the concern in the room increasing. She struggled for several minutes trying to find her voice. It was shot with fear when she finally did use it, "Decision Maker Stuart has died." Her small audience gasped, knowing he was a good man. Tomoyo continued after a moment's pause, "His son has been chosen as his replacement. They were going to announce it this morning, but he died yesterday." 

"I never thought he would choose his son," Yelan commented. "He always feared that Evison would be a corrupt leader and bring harm to his people." The three twenty-one-year-olds stared at her in wonder, but before anyone could say a word, she continued. "He studied in Japan with a friend of his when he was younger. He kept in touch with Kinomoto-san after he left." She turned to Sakura, "Your father would pass news on to Syaoran's father since we had all known each other." 

"Why did he choose his son then? If he thought he would be a poor leader, he could have chosen someone else." Sakura put a voice to the thoughts going through the heads of her friends. She thought for a second before turning to Tomoyo. "That wasn't all you saw, was it?" It was more of a statement than a question but Sakura still expected an answer. 

Tomoyo cringed, then sighed before answering her friend. "No, it wasn't. I saw pain and suffering. There were burning cities – the sky was thick with smoke. People were training to be fighters – they're raising an army. Others were slaves, being forced to work all day and not even given food to eat. There was another group of people," Tomoyo's eyes opened eyes opened wide with fear as she remembered what she saw, "they were training in magic; it felt dark." She shivered as she fell silent. 

"This is more serious than I feared," Yelan said as she rose. "We must warn the other Decision Makers, hopefully we will be able to stop the destruction before it goes too far." The woman left the room leaving her parting words on the air behind her, "Perhaps you should write to England." 

Sakura nodded to Yelan's suggestion, thinking that it would be a good idea to tell Eriol. Nevertheless, she still sat in her chair, not really seeing anything – she was in shock. 'I should probably tell Adan about this, his family is from the Northwest which is very close to the Distant West. He'll probably want to make sure they're safe.' Eventually, she noticed Syaoran beaconing to her from across the room. She stood up and walked toward him without even knowing she did it. 

"You promised you'd tell me what's been happening to Daidouji-san," he whispered as he drew Sakura nearer to him. He was worried Tomoyo would hear and get angry at them for fussing over her. "I gathered from what just happened that she has visions. Tell me more about it." 

Sakura sighed loudly, about to begin, when she felt a finger in her lips. "Shh…not too loud, it wouldn't be a good idea to attract Daidouji-san's attention." 

She looked up at Syaoran and nodded before he removed his finger. "She gets visions. Not very frequently though and never during training." Syaoran looked at her questioningly, it had sounded like Tomoyo had had another vision recently. Sakura blushed lightly, "She saw the incident with the truck yesterday." She paused before continuing and noticed that Syaoran's cheeks had a faint rose hue as well. "That's not all. You remember how we all thought she was very perceptive when we were younger?" Sakura asked. Syaoran nodded. "Well, that's part of it too. She can sort of read minds, not _exactly_ what people are thinking, but she gets the gist of it." 

"That must be why it seemed like she knew what I was going to do before I did it." 

Sakura nodded, "She does that to me sometimes. She says it's to keep me on my toes. She joins me in training so she can learn to control her abilities and to make them stronger." 

"How many people know about this?" Syaoran asked. 

"She and I, now you, probably your mother has figured it out, Kero-chan, Yue and Eriol-kun. I guess that's makes seven." Sakura listed everyone who knew about her friend's recently surfaced abilities. Her father may know about Sakura's abilities, but the didn't want to bother him with Tomoyo's – he'd just get more worried. 

"And how long has this been happening for? Why did you tell Hiiragizawa and not me?" Syaoran was miffed that the girls trusted the boy who had tried to hurt them, but not him and it showed through his tone of voice. 

"It started about five years ago. I wrote to Eriol-kun about it because I needed to know what to do – I needed help." Syaoran eyed her as if to say 'why didn't you ask _me_ for help?' "I-I didn't really think to ask you. We hadn't heard from you in a while. I thought you were too busy to deal with minor changes in Japan." Sakura refused to meet his eyes as she answered. 

Syaoran sighed, "well, I'm glad you've told me now. Next time something like this comes up, please tell me about it too?" His voice and choice of words made it seem halfway between a command and a question. 

Sakura smiled. "Of course I will Syaoran-kun, I'm very sorry I didn't tell you about this earlier," she said, giving him a small hug. 

Once again, they both felt that little jolt of electricity but neither of them really noticed because a small, "Kawaii," interrupted them from the other side of the room. They quickly broke apart and turned to see Tomoyo staring at them with stars in her eyes. 

"I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but you two would make such a cute couple!" 

Her friends just stared at her, trying to figure out what she was talking about.   
  
  


Pronunciations and Meanings (I'll do this when I introduce a character that I created if the name isn't an easy one)   
  
Evison – Like Edison only with a 'v'. Giving you the meaning of this one would ruin my fun   
Adan – (ah-DAHN) means 'a large bat' from a proverb that essentially means you do your best. 


	4. Chaos

**Disclaimer:** I own computers…I own crackers…I own CD's…I own cardboard…I own CARDS! That's it! I OWN CARDS! Oh, they're just playing cards…I guess I don't own the Clow Cards after all. I probably don't own CCS either then…darn. 

**Note:** Please excuse the varying chapter lengths. Each chapter (up to 11) already has an objective and I write until that's achieved which can be sometimes short and sometimes verbose. Thanks and enjoy. - Azi   
  


_Past Incarnation_

By Azi 

_Chapter 4: Chaos_

  


ENGLAND 

Eriol Hiiragizawa sat in his study, thinking that something was amiss. He didn't know exactly what it was, but he had a feeling that something very wrong was going to happen very soon. He also thought that he should be hearing from his cute little descendant or his sweet half-daughter within the next couple days. He sighed. "Maybe I should check with Nakuru and see if the mail has come," Eriol mumbled to himself as he rose and left the room. 

"There you are Eriol-kun!" Eriol cringed at those words. "Have you seen Suppi? I've got something for him to try," Nakuru said with a mischievous look on her face. 

Eriol smirked, "He's probably hiding from you. No doubt you want to shove more sugar down his throat." He gave his guardian a knowing look. "Anyway Nakuru, I came out to check of I got mail today." 

"Nothing yet, Master. Are you expecting a letter?" 

"I was thinking that Sakura or Syaoran may have written, that's all," Eriol replied as he turned back to his study. 

To his surprise, there was an envelope addressed to him on his desk when he returned. His feeling of something amiss came rushing back when he saw Sakura's handwriting. 'She only sends her letters this was when it's something urgent,' he thought as he opened the envelope. He suppressed a chuckle when he laid eyes on the letter. 'Even in an emergency she uses that pink paper Syaoran gave her before he left.' 

_"Dear Eriol-kun___

_I'm going to send this letter the quick way when it's finished. I'll let Syaoran-kun send a message at the end of it. – He's visiting with his mother, but considering current events, they may stay for quite a while."_

Eriol smiled at this, thinking that maybe she was writing to tell him that she and Syaoran had gotten together. 

_"Tomoyo-chan has had a couple visions recently. The first one is nothing too important – it involved a truck and me. I'm okay. It was nothing to worry about and nobody got hurt. It's the second one that we're worried about._

_She had a vision during training this morning. Li-san made Syaoran-kun and I continue to practice while she tended to Tomoyo-chan. When we were finished, she told us what she saw – Decision Maker Stuart from the Distant West has died. She says that his son was chosen as his replacement._

_Eriol-kun, I'm scared. Tomoyo-chan saw burning cities and people being used as slaves. She said they were training an army of fighters. But the worst, Eriol-kun, is that they are training people in magic – dark magic."_

'So that's what this uneasy feeling I've got is,' Eriol thought to himself as he read Sakura's words. 'We haven't even heard of Decision Maker Stuart's death yet. Maybe there's a way to stop this.' 

_"I'm really worried. I have a feeling that this Evison and Decision Maker Nawat (even his name gives me shivers, it always has) are going to try to destroy the world._

_Adan-kun is worried too. His family lives in the Northwest. The two countries are so close; he thinks if there is an attack the Northwest will be hit first. He wants to see his family to make sure they're okay. He'll be leaving by boat in a couple weeks – as soon as they find a substitute for him. He doesn't trust planes, he figures if there is an attack they will ground all the planes and capture everyone on them so he's getting a ride on a trading ship. Is there any way you can make sure Adan-kun gets there safely and sooner than expected? I want him back here as soon as possible._

_Thanks, Eriol-kun. I hope this letter didn't ruin your day as much as Tomoyo-chan's vision did ours._

_Your half-daughter,_ _Sakura"_ __

_"Hiiragizawa_

_I've been feeling strange auras from somewhere distant. I hope they have nothing to do with Daidouji-san's visions because they are getting very strong. I don't want to bother Sakura-chan about them – she's too worried right now as it is – so can you write me back separately and tell me if you've noticed them yet? My mother and I are staying at the Daidouji residence so you can direct your reply there._

_Also, what can you tell me about this Adan guy? Sakura-chan seems to like him quite a bit, but he hasn't been here for very long._

_Write soon,_ _Li Syaoran"_ __

The young dark-haired man smirked at the end of his 'cute descendant's' letter. 'He just has this odd way of making my day better. I can feel a little bit of jealousy under those words, but I'm sure he doesn't even notice it's there…yet. Maybe something's going to change soon and they'll remember everything.' Eriol sighed and looked at the magically sealed box on his desk. It contained letters from Sakura, Tomoyo and Syaoran. He had felt that something was going to happen so he had sealed all his letters so nothing could damage them: not even magic. 

He was glad he had because something_ had_ happened and nobody remembered that Syaoran and Sakura loved each other, let alone how much. He had the letters to prove it. 'It's not the time yet though. I wish I could tell them, but no one would believe me if I said anything now. Everyone thinks they're just friends. Something tells me that whatever's going to happen would be easier to handle if they remembered everything though.' 

Shaking himself out of his reverie, he turned his attention back to the issues revealed to him in his friends' letter. Eriol relaxed for a moment and sent his magic in search of the auras Syaoran had mentioned. Shortly afterward, he snapped back to his senses looking rather worried: the auras were from the West and they _were_ getting very strong. 'This must be the magical army Daidouji-san saw in her vision – or at least the beginning of it.' 

After taking a couple minutes to calm himself, he pulled out a sheet of paper and started to write to his cute little descendant. 'I'll write to Sakura-chan tomorrow, after I've had a chance to talk to my partner and to think it over a bit more.'   


THE DISTANT WEST 

"Really Evison, I thought you had more sense than that," a man in his mid-thirties stated bluntly to the newly appointed Decision Maker. "Your father never would have chosen you if he thought you would do this!" The bluntness changed to exasperation as the man waved a file in front of the boy's face. 

"You forget your place Symon. You may have been my father's favorite advisor but, to me, you are nothing. You're only here until I have the time to get rid of your position." The twenty-three-year-old's voice dripped with poison – a major change from his speech earlier that day. 

Symon sighed. "But an army? This is insane. We need an army even less than the North needs more snow." 

"It's not snowing in the North right now – they could probably use a little to cool the place down." 

"Fine then, but no one's going to attack us! Your father made sure during his time as Decision Maker that this was one of the most peaceful countries on the planet." Symon just couldn't see why an army was necessary in such a peaceful world. 

Evison grabbed the folder and walked away. Under his breath he menacingly said, "That will all change soon. I have big plans for our little country. I have big plans for _you_, Symon." 

Symon heard none of this and went back to his office shaking his head. 'Why do I get the feeling the world is going to fall apart soon?' he asked himself. An unexpected reply came from somewhere in his head, 'Because it is.' The voice was cold and full of hatred – it sounded evil.   


Evison continued down the hall looking completely focused and very commanding. In reality, he had no idea where he was going. He was too busy thinking about the plans he and his mentor had cooked up. 'I almost pity Symon, thinking his opinion could change anything.' The boy smirked. 'Belen has already started training people in magic and we have enough weapons to support a massive army. Those poor saps in the North had no idea why we kept buying their resources. Starting tomorrow, everyone will serve us. Including you, Symon. It seems Belen thinks you have magic too. Given time, you will become our strongest supporter.   


Decision Maker Belen Nawat sat in his study contemplating his plans. 'Things are going smoothly, at last. It took too long to get to this point. I suppose the child had to grow up, but I could have used someone else years ago. Then again, the boy was filled with hate from birth. It made him a perfect ally.'__

_FLASHBACK_

Belen watched the beautiful twenty-six-year-old as she stared out the window. Her round belly showing just how near she was to giving birth to her third child. 

He sighed. 'I've just been watching her for years. She was supposed to be **mine** by now. Of course the little trollop still seems to think her husband is better than I am. I'll have to show little Gracie that she is vastly mistaken. If I can't have her, neither can Nahan Stuart. Not anymore.' Belen's thoughts slowly got darker; mirroring the change in his personality over the last several years. 

The young man strode across the room and wrapped his arms around the girl's waist. He felt her body stiffen as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "When was the last time I told you that you look beautiful when you look out the window like that?" 

"Belen, don't," Grace pleaded with fear in her voice. 

"Belen, don't," he mimicked. "You know you belong with me Grace darling." 

"What happened to you Belen? You used to be our friend. You used to be so nice and caring. It's like you are your own evil twin, you've changed so much." 

"It's all because of you darling." 

"Don't call me that, you have no right!" Grace Stuart snapped as she tried to escape from his hold. 

"You are the one who has caused these changes in me. Because I lost you, I lost everything good in my life. You should have been mine; your children should be mine. If you loved me like you claim to love that weakling Nahan, everything would be different." Having finished his tirade, he turned his companion around in his arms and kissed her roughly. 

She tried to back away, her fear of her former friend growing with every passing second. Unfortunately, she found her route blocked by the window she had been gazing through. "Please don't!" She cried as she pushed him away from her with all her strength. Her anger was getting the best of her. 

Belen responded by grabbing Grace's arms and pushing her against the window – the glass cracked. "You cannot escape me darling. I am your destiny." His voice dripped with poison that would cause even the bravest to cringe. He kissed her again as she struggled in vain. 

To suppress her struggles; he pushed her back even further. The window shattered from Grace's weight and she fell three stories to landing Rose bushes she had planted six years earlier. Her scream had filled the air on her way down. 

People from all over the grounds rushed to help the injured woman. She was, to most, the sweetest person they had ever known and the whole country would mourn if anything happened to her. She was rushed to the nearest hospital while everyone prayed for her recovery even though it was likely she would not survive. 

Grace awoke to blackness. She wasn't anywhere she had seen before – something was definitely wrong. The world she was in seemed filled with fear, anger and hate. She found her existence there painful. Grace looked around frantically for any sort of a way out but eventually realized she was trapped: in her own emotions. She gave out an agonizing scream of fury and despair and finally succumbed to the darkness. 

In a hospital room, doctors were trying desperately to save a young woman. She was pregnant and badly injured. The men reluctantly accepted that they could save either the woman _or_ the child, but not both. The baby had a better chance of survival so they opted to remove the child and try their best to save it. 

Just before the doctors snipped the umbilical cord, the young woman let out a chilling scream. That scream would haunt everyone who heard it for life. Her body shuddered once and then fell still. The room became strangely silent and at once, everyone knew that Grace Stuart, wife of Decision Maker Nahan Stuart, was dead.__

_END FLASHBACK_   


Belen Nawat smirked. "Who would have thought that I had created my own ally?" The comment floated through the air, not heard by anybody because no one dared to venture near Decision Maker Nawat's quarters. 

After a moment's pause, he slipped easily back into his thoughts. 'Of course, everything was delayed because that fool Nahan refused to die. I should have known his _beloved Grace_ would protect him even after death. It's just lucky I found a little spell that helped her forget her love. Once everyone forgot that she and Nahan loved each other, all blame was instantly removed from me – they couldn't connect a thing.' A smile flitted across his face as he remembered with pride how he had stolen Grace's love from her. 'Six years, it took six long years to make his death look natural. It took seventeen years to figure out how to break her curse.' 

Belen continued thinking about all he went through to get to this point. So soon, the world would be his and his rival - his obstacle – would turn in his grave to find that he had helped.   


_FLASHBACK_

"Really Nahan, I don't see why you're opposed to this. It's for the good of the country." 

"I fail to see how arming all our citizens and teaching them to fight will help our country. In my opinion, it will only push our culture towards violence. I do not want our children to grow up thinking that fighting is the answer." 

Think of it as protection. Any young woman would be safer is she knew how to defend herself. Although you refuse to admit it, there are men out there who would take advantage of a pretty young woman. If she could fight back or even use daggers, she might be able to escape without a bruise. I feel it's necessary to make sure **all** our people know how to defend themselves." 

"But Belen, why should we teach everyone to use swords? That's the strongest weapon the Peace Treaties allowed. Others may think we are raising an army!" 

"It's just a precaution my dear Nahan. At some point someone may decide to take over the world. It would be wise to have all our citizens able to defend our country if we ever come under attack. Besides, many countries in the East require people to learn to fight." 

"I suppose you are correct. I will agree with you then, but this must not be abused."__

_END FLASHBACK_

_FLASHBACK_

"Belen, have you noticed that many people are showing magical abilities lately?" 

"Now that you mention it, I suppose there have been a number of magical accidents lately. Perhaps we should do something about it?" Belen responded to Nahan's question thinking how lucky he was not to have to bring it up himself. 

"Well, from what I've read, untrained magic can cause major problems if it cannot be controlled. I think perhaps we should set up schools or maybe just classes to teach people to control their magic. It might be safer that way." Decision Maker Stuart thought only of the safety of the people he was chosen to represent. 

"A good idea, my friend. Although, maybe we should set up a method of testing to ensure that one with strong abilities does not get overlooked. I've heard that some magic can be buried deep inside and when finally unleashed, it can be the hardest to control." Belen was surprised at how easy this was. Never mind that he had caused many of those 'accidents.' 

_END FLASHBACK_   


'It was all too easy. He played right into my hands time and time again. He never even thought that I might have ulterior motives.' The dark man finally went to bed – after all tomorrow was a big day. Years of preparation would finally pay off.   


Symon woke up coughing. He looked out his window and assumed that it was still before dawn – he couldn't see any light outside. Then something hit him: the strong smell of fire. He looked out his window again and this time he saw it. All the buildings around him were burning. There were people trying to escape the destruction everywhere. 

"They're burning the cities," Symon whispered to himself almost afraid something worse would happen if he spoke too loud. He rushed to get dressed and left his room in a hurry, but not before he grabbed a book containing water spells. "Someone has to stop this before it goes too far. I just hope I'm strong enough." 

After years of hiding his magical abilities, Symon cautiously released his aura. A rich brown – comforting, like milk chocolate – surrounded him as he began an incantation that should stop the fire at the nearest house. 

Symon concentrated on his magic as he watched a small trickle of water slowly grow larger and engulf the flames that had been devouring the house. He sighed in relief as one fire extinguished. He walked closer to the next burning house and repeated the process. 

He grew weary as he saved the second house, but he didn't care. 'This has to be stopped. I must stand in the way of devastation.' As he worked on smothering a third fire, he exhaustion got the better of him. He heard footsteps running toward him as his vision clouded. 

"Can't have you spoiling all my fun now, can I?" the poisonous voice directed itself to Symon. "Take him and put him with the other magic users. He will make a strong addition to my army." 

Symon shuddered under the voice. Before he completely lost consciousness, his mind registered one more thought. 'The end had begun. I must escape and find a way to stop the world from crumbling.' 

Behind the shadows carrying Symon, a world of chaos began to emerge.   


Pronunciations and Meanings

Nawat - (NAH-waht) means 'left hand.' A little history here: the word 'sinister' (evil) came from a Latin word that means 'on the left.' Because of the connection between evil and the left, left-handed people were considered to be well...evil. Make the connection... 

Belen – (BEL-en) means 'an arrow.' Read the full name – Belen Nawat – as 'an arrow of the left hand' or perhaps an instrument of evil. 

Symon – (SIGH-men) means 'to hear' or 'to be heard' 

Nahan – (NAY-han) derived from Shanahan which means 'wise one.' 


	5. Vacation

**Disclaimer:** I own what I own. They own what they own. I don't own what they own and if I did, I wouldn't be doing this. **Note:** This chapter kinda got out of hand on me. I got tired of writing so I decided to type a little. Because of this, the chapter will hereby be split in two. This is part one (it got renamed); part two will follow in a couple weeks. Um…thanks and sorry your fave characters are so blatantly missing from this chapter. They're in the next one (I promise.) – Azi 

_Past Incarnation_

By Azi 

_Chapter 5: Vacation_

SOMEWHERE ON A MAGICAL PATH BETWEEN ENGLAND AND JAPAN 

An envelope disappeared without a sound. Had it been a living being, it might have felt something, but it wasn't. It knew nothing of its existence, let alone its ability to disappear or its contents. 

The man who sent it knew. The man who will receive it will know. Anyone who could intercept it and open it would find the shattering news inside. The envelope held a letter, one that was written in a hurry. 

_My Dear Cute Little Descendent:_

_Do I detect jealousy in your words? You seemed very interested in Sakura-chan's friend. His full name, if I remember correctly, is Adan Keane. He is from the Northwest. I believe he teaches English at the same school Daidouji-san has her music class. The three of them became good friends over the year, but I think he and my sweet half-daughter wish to be more than friends._

_Of course, _they_ are not meant to be together. Be nice to him. I believe that soon a girl will show up to take him away from Sakura-chan. When that happens, she'll probably repay those who have hurt him. I get flashes of her when Sakura-chan writes about him – she's got spunk._

_I checked the auras you mentioned. I believe your fears were correct. They were coming from the West. I have a bad feeling about this, but until we have proof, we can't do anything._

_The best I can say is keep training. Make sure the girls train too. When something happens, we have to be ready to deal with it. You may even want to train Adan as he has a little magic – it may help. We will need all the help we can get._

_Sorry for the bad news._   
_Your ancestor, Hiiragizawa Eriol_   


Of course, the letter knew nothing of this. Nor did it notice when its journey stopped. It landed safely in the hands of the 'Cute Little Descendent.' Those hands were attached to strong arms and a powerful body with a head of chocolate brown hair. The amber eyes that were meant to read it could make hearts melt, but the letter didn't notice: it was inanimate. 

THE NORTHWEST 

Three girls filled a car with giggles as they talked about everything they wanted to do on their vacation. The youngest, an adorable little five-year-old, piped up, "We'll go swimming, won't we? I want to go to the beach." Her blond curls bobbed as she shook with excitement. 

"Of course, Hanni. If you want to go swimming, we'll go to the beach every day until you get tired of it." A redhead grinned back from the passenger's seat. 

"You're the greatest, Aunty Ri!" The little girl squealed. 

The driver laughed. "She's not really your niece, is she?" The twenty-two-year-old already knew the answer but had to ask anyway. 

"No M'lie, she's not my niece." The redhead answered as if she'd answered that question a million times. "Her father insister that she call me that. Frankly, I'm pretty much old enough to be anyway." Her blue eyes glittered with mischief as she shuddered. "Besides, my brother? The thought is sickening, ugh!" 

Her friend laughed again, "Ria, sis anyone ever tell you that you're crazy?" 

"All the time M'lie, all the time." 

"Ellie, why is Aunty Ria crazy? She seems normal to me." 

The girls burst out laughing again. 

"When are we going to get to the Island? I'm getting exhaustipated," a small voice called through the laughter. 

The girls checked their surroundings before answering. "Soon Han, we'll be on the bridge in a few minutes." 

"Yippee! I can't wait!" The child started bouncing again. 

The banter had been going on for hours as the two friends took Ria's cousin her first vacation without her parents. In reality, the two older girls were celebrating their graduation from university. This trip was supposed to be the last adventure before joining the 'real world.' 

"Mei, what's Will doing now? I know he's got a job, but he wouldn't tell me about it. He said I'd go all self-righteous on him and preach about the evils of money and power." 

"I swear Ri, you've got a million different nicknames from me," the girl laughed before responding to Ria's question. "He's working for a bank somewhere in the Capital, you know how he is…" 

"Humph, William the banker…yeah, that fits." Ria wasn't surprised at all; it suited the boy who had become a brother to her. "I just hope he doesn't get greedy. At least I'll be there to check up on him in a few months." She turned her head to look at her friend, "Are you still planning on taking classes up there? It'll be like old times." 

"I'm still thinking about it. I've been accepted already, I just have to make up my mind. When do you start your training anyway?" 

"September" 

"Really?! Well, if I decide to go we can make a road trip of it." She started planning in her head as she paid the toll at the end of the bridge. 

"Hey Hanni! We've crossed the bridge. We'll be at the campground in about thirty minutes." 

"Eeeee! Then can we have a campfire and oh boy! I get to sleep in a tent!" 

"Your 'niece' is obviously excited. She's exactly like you." 

Ria smirked, "I know, it's in the blood." 

"Hey Ellie, earlier you said that Aunty Ri had a million nicknames for you. What's your real name?" The childish voice asked curiously from the backseat. 

The older girls laughed at the question. "Silly, my real name is MeiLie. I suppose you've never heard anyone use it though." 

After eating a dinner cooked over a campfire and getting acquainted with the campground washrooms, the exhausted girls settled down to peaceful dreams.   


The next few days consisted of sightseeing, swimming and shopping. All three girls were enjoying themselves, but Ria had grown distracted. Her dreams were becoming less inviting every night and she had an awful feeling that something was very wrong. 

Ria sighed. 

"Aunty Ri? What's wrong? You're letting out too much air." Concerned blue eyes looked up at their 'aunt' begging for an answer. 

"Nothing at all, Han. I just breathed in too much air in the first place." The answer was followed by a yawn. 

The child approached her other travel companion. "Ellie, can you find out what's wrong with Aunty Ri? I know something bad is happening and I know she knows too. I just want everything to be okay." 

MeiLie watched in amazement as the napkin the girl held shifted, grew feathers and flew away. "Of course, cutie. Why don't you go play over there while I talk to her?" She smiled as she pointed to the playroom Hannah had been eyeing for a while. 

"Eeeee!" Hannah jumped up and ran excitedly to the other playing children. 

"So Ri, are you going to tell me what's wrong?" MeiLie had no wish to be tactful; she knew Ria got annoyed when people skirted their questions. 

"Did you know that Decision Maker Stuart died?" Ria turned to look at her friend long enough to see her shake her head. "I saw it in a dream a few nights before we left. I ignored it, thinking nothing of it, but I've been having more dreams lately. Something bad is happening down there now and I have a feeling it's going to come here." She paused for a moment as if steeling herself for what she said next. "Can I borrow the car? I've got to get our families out of there if I can." 

MeiLie's eyes opened wide with astonishment. "Bit Ri! You can't drive! Let me go, or we can all go." 

Ria shook her head. "No, I have to go and I don't want to ruin Hanni's vacation by making her leave too soon. You stay here and make sure she has the best vacation ever. I'll be back as soon as I can. The car will be fine, trust me Mei." 

MeiLie closed her eyes for a second, then opened them and sighed. "Don't do that, it's rude," she said, flashing a dirty look at her friend. 

A look of innocence crossed Ria's face as she asked, "Do what? I wasn't the one planting thought in your head. That must have been someone else with 'weird abilities.' I'm perfectly innocent." She looked around before continuing. "Of course, not many people here are capable of magic. I promise I won't hurt your car." 

"Fine, but see if you can get Will's family to come back with you. He'd want them to be safe." MeiLie finally gave in and tossed her keys to her friend. 

"Eeeee. Thank you. Don't worry, I'll be back in a flash." Ria snapped her fingers to demonstrate her point as she ran off to bid farewell to her cousin. 

"Hanni honey, I'm going on a little trip. I want you to stay with Mei and be a good girl. You take care of her, okay?" Ria paused and gave her cousin a look that transferred her meaning. The girl nodded in response. "I promise I'll be back in a few days – you've got nothing to worry about. You can stay in a hotel; I'll take care of the camping gear. Now promise me you'll meet me at the farmhouse every night until I get back. Just like we practiced." She waited for Hannah's reply, hoping the girl would agree. 

Hannah smiled, "I will Aunty Ri. Just be careful, something's not right." The normally happy face flashed with seriousness for a moment the returned to a cheerful look. 

Ria picked the girl up in a bear hug and whispered in her ear, "I'll see you in your dreams Hanni. Don't worry, everything will be all right." She put her cousin down and ran toward the car thinking, 'it has to be.'   


After a couple hours of driving, Ria pulled into a park ground for a long nap. First she stepped out and examined the car. 'Not a scratch...not bad for my first time driving. I guess my protection spell worked.' After getting back in, she locked all the doors then made the car appear empty for the night. She slid the keys into her pocket and curled up in the back seat to sleep. 'I know I'll be reclining in the front before dawn.' With that, she let sleep carry her to the farmhouse where she checked up on her cousin and got some rest. 

True to her prediction, Ria awoke at dawn to find herself reclining in the front passenger's seat. She wasn't surprised; the back seat was not made for sleeping. Shrugging the change off, she pulled the keys out of her pocket and slid into the driver's seat. In no time, she was back on the highway heading for Mei's parents' home. 'Let them be home.' It became her mantra.   


A redheaded girl pulled her car off the highway into a restaurant's parking lot and sighed. Her mission to save family and friends had crumbled as the hours passed. Either people weren't home or they were unwilling to leave their lives. 'Hanni's parents might have come if they hadn't been in the neighboring country,' the girl thought. 

"Well," she said to herself while coming out of the restaurant, "I've got one stop left before I call this trip an utter failure." She got back in the car and started heading for Will's house. "I can't believe my own family wouldn't listen to me." 

Forty minutes later, a car slowly drove up to a farmhouse. Not the same house where Ria and Hannah meet though: this one is larger. A girl stepped out of the car and made her way to the front door. She grinned as the door opened before she knocked. 

"Hello Little Bird!" Ria's voice rang out as she greeted the sixteen-year-old girl on the other side of the door. "Your family home?" 

'Little Bird' sighed as she stepped aside to let the older girl enter. "You know, Ria, I have a name…" Her complaint trailed off as she noticed her companion laughing. 

"Of course you do _Rynn_," Ria replies with a little added stress on the name. "I just like the one I gave you better. I mean, really, you're so tiny and you flit about everywhere, not to mention you've got a great singing voice." Rynn rolled her eyes at that and Ria frowned. "You don't hate me for it, do you?" 

"No." Rynn looked at the older girl, mischief in her eyes. "How can I hate my older brother's 'big sister'? Besides, you bring too much entertainment when you come." 

"That's good to know," Ria laughed. "Now, parents! I need to talk to them. Then you can go find your sister and pack some clothes for a few weeks." Her tone quickly turned serious. 

"Are we going somewhere? What about school? Who else is – " Rynn's barrage of questions got cut off by Ria's hand. 

"Later." 

Ria spent the next few hours explaining everything to Will and Rynn's parents. The Sutters didn't laugh at Ria's 'stories.' In fact, they had discovered and fostered the girl's magical abilities. She really was as much a daughter to them as the two girls who were in their rooms packing for a mysterious trip. 

They had her recount her dreams many times and then analyzed them until they were satisfied they hadn't missed anything. When they were done, Mrs. Sutter sighed. 

"I guess it's settled then. We should leave for our own safety. I'm so sorry your family wouldn't listen, dear," she said, laying a hand on Ria's shoulder. 

"Frankly, I expected it. I'm just sorry Mei's family wasn't home. I know she'll worry about them." 

"Poor MeiLie." Mrs. Sutter wiped a tear from her eye as she thought about her son's girlfriend. "Just one thing Ri. How did you get here? We saw MeiLie's car, but she's not here and I didn't think you drove." 

"I don't," Ria grinned, "but I made an exception for this." Seeing the look on the woman's face, she continued. "I didn't get caught! And you can check the car for scratches." The last part was directed at Mr. Sutter. 

Will's father stood up laughing. "Perhaps I will. Mei wouldn't like her car returned with dents all over it. In the meantime, why don't you take a nap while we pack a few things?" Ria complied willingly.   


Ria awoke a few hours later to find both the car and the Sutters's van filled with clothes, camping gear, and food. She grinned thinking that they don't waste time. She was more relaxed now, almost happy. While sleeping, she checked up on Hannah and found that the girls had had a wonderful time shopping that day. 

A seventeen-year-old girl approached her. "Dad wants to know when 'Sleeping Beauty' would like to leave." 

"Good morning to you too Sara." Ria tossed back in reply. 

Sara's lips curled into a smirk as she looked at the dark sky. "It's hardly morning Ria. But really, are you ready to leave yet? Where are we going? Should I bring the cat with us?" 

"By all means, bring the cat. We're going to the campus first – I think I forgot something there. Then we're going to the Island," Ria called back as she grabbed her keys and ran out the door. Sara followed, scooping up the cat on her way out.   


When they got to Ria's university campus, they saw no one except two Japanese students. Ria stopped the car and got out. She wondered why they were just sitting outside at this time of night (or morning). The moonlight hit her hair making it glow softly. The two students looked at her in wonder, both thinking the same thing: 'she looks like an angel.' 

"Can I help you with something?" The girl finally asked. 

Ria smiled. "Actually, I was wondering why you were sitting out here in the wee hours of the morning." 

The boy grinned rather goofily, his closed eyes looking like half moons. "We were just trying to figure out hot to get to the Island before graduation. See, Chiharu-chan wants to go, but we don't have a car." 

"I see…" Ria thought for a second then looked back for approval. Mrs. Sutter nodded. "It just so happens that we are heading for the Island right now. We've got extra room, you're welcome to come along." 

"Really?" Ria nodded. "Thank you very much. By the way, I'm Mihara Chiharu and this is Yamazaki Takashi. What can we call you?" 

"Call me Ria," she replied smiling. 

Takashi shook his head. "I think I like Tenshi better. How about you?" he asked, looking at Chiharu. She nodded in agreement. 

"You're definitely an angel."   


Hours later, the two vehicles passed through the tolls on the bridge and aimed for the nearest hotel. Like they were homing pigeons, they knew exactly where MeiLie and Hannah were staying. 

"I suppose it's too early for check-in?" Mr. Sutter asked his wife. 

"Probably," she replied, "but MeiLie is in there." 

They waited in the lobby until they heard a screech. 

"Aunty Ri!" A streak of blond curls rushed past everyone and latched itself onto the well-missed cousin. 

Ria laughed. "Hello Han. I trust you've been good?" She hugged the girl close, silently asking forgiveness for not saving their families. 

Hannah straightened in her cousin's arms. "A perfect angel," she replied while trying to look like a model child. 

"Good." Ria turned to MeiLie, who had finally reached the group. "Your keys, Madame. You'll find your car in perfect condition and with a full tank of gas." 

Ria sighed and looked around her. 'It's a start,' she thought. 'We'll need lots more, but this will have to do for now. I only wish I had a clearer picture of what was going on.' She looked up at the hazy sky and took a deep breath. She almost choked on the air when she realized what the haze was coming from: smoke. "Um…I don't know if anyone else has noticed this, but it's hazy out and the air smells of smoke. What are the chances of it coming from a large fire or a whole lot of large fires in the South? Could this be a sign that it has already begun?" 

Her words hung on the air as fear for the future gripped everyone. 

Pronunciations and Meanings

MacQuin – (MAH-kwen) 

Ria – (REE-ah) 

MeiLie – (may-lee) This name is supposed to be a mixture of her grandmothers' names. It has no meaning. 

M'lie – (MMLEE) like mmmmmmcookies 

Rynn – (rin) means 'songbird' 


	6. Revealing

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Card Captor Sakura, I'd be out partying right now, instead of writing.   
  


_Past Incarnation_

By Azi 

_Chapter 6: Revealing_

  
  
  


**THE DISTANT WEST**

Symon woke with a slight headache: the result of draining himself the night before. He shifted and hound that his position wasn't causing his discomfort, but the floor he found himself on was. He groaned, thinking he had fallen off his bed. While trying to push himself up, he realized his hands were tied together. 'Rope,' he thought, 'at least I can get through that. What a silly prank to pull.' He struggled, trying to loosen the rope and free himself. 

"You're finally awake! What did you do, crack your head?" 

The voice called Symon from his struggles. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't tell where it came from. He looked around, finding people he hadn't noticed before. "Where are we? What happened?" 

"You don't know what happened?" A young man stepped forward and kneeled beside Symon as he spoke. 

The advisor – former advisor – shook his head. "Not really. I remember the fires. I tried putting them out with my magic, but I only saved three houses. At least that's all I remember saving." 

A girl who was sitting on a cushion moved nearer to Symon and scrutinized him. "You must have drained yourself when you were doing that. That would explain why you slept so long. You're much stronger now than you were before. Your aura was so weak; we didn't think you had much power." 

"You all have magic?" Symon asked, looking around him to see everybody. There were six other people in the room and the all nodded. "I see," he said while he started to struggle with the ropes again. 

"Let me take care of those for you," an older man said as he pulled a knife from nowhere. "We were a little unsure what side you were on so we thought it safest of we bind you." He deftly cut the rope and freed Symon's hands. 

"Well descendant of Eria, what brings you to this country? Shouldn't you be further North with others of your birth?" The voice came from an elderly lady, who was sitting on a chair in the corner of the room. "Not that we mind your being here, you make us seven: a very good number." 

Symon looked at her questioningly. "How would you know if my blood comes from her line? I've never met you before>" 

"I would know because I too am a descendant of Clow Reed." 

The advisor's eyes grew wide at this revelation. "Then you are more displaced than I am, Li-san. Tell me, what brings you from China?" 

"It would be polite to answer my question first." The locked eyes and held the gaze for a few minutes in a silent battle of will. 

There was no way Symon could hold up against the stubborn, elderly lady. He looked away as he answered, not willing to see the triumph that clearly showed in her eyes, though not on her face. "Six years ago, one of our daughters started behaving differently. No one noticed except her teacher, who kept written reviews, and other notes about young Ria, magically sealed. We determined that the disturbances originated from here so I was sent to investigate. So far, I've found nothing." 

The Chinese lady nodded. "I see. Our situations are similar then. Our Xiao Lang underwent some – changes – around the same time as your Ria. The Clan decided it would be best to send someone less conspicuous to find the cause. As this seemed to be the place where the problem started, I came here." 

The room fell silent as everyone contemplated all the information that the two had 'casually' dropped. They all knew that Li Xiao Lang is the only son of Decision Maker Li Yelan. They also knew that the Eria they spoke of was the young woman who developed the new world order. She was the first Decision Maker for her country and did a wonderful job in the position. Often, her descendants earned the position as well. 

Most of Eria's descendants can be hard to find because they didn't stick together like the Li Clan did. They had scattered themselves across their country like explorers, wanting to see more. Many people from her line knew nothing of their magic or their relation to such an important person in history. There were several who kept in contact with each other, no matter where they were. This group was generally strong in magic and had good leadership abilities. It was obvious to everyone in the room that Symon was of the latter group. Likely, Ria also had strong magic. Otherwise, no one would really care. 

Symon finally broke the silence as he started thinking out loud. "About the same time…both descendants of Clow Reed…it all started here. There's got to be another connection. If it was an attack against Clow Reed, it should have affected more of us. It had to be something different. It affected Will and his family doesn't draw from Eria's line." 

"This Will, does he have any connection to Clow Reed at all?" 

Symon's thoughts were interrupted by the question. He shook his head to clear it, and then continued speaking. "None that I know of. He is the son of Ria's teacher and has limited magic of his own, but his only connection would be being Ria's best friend. What were you thinking Li-san?" 

"First, child, call me Kuai Hua, I was never fond of formalities." Symon snorted causing Kuai Hua to glare at him. "Second, we had heard that the Card Mistress had changed as well. I was thinking that if this Will-boy had a connection to Clow Reed, it may well have been some form of attack on him or his magic." 

The man who had cut Symon's ropes spoke rather tentatively, "If they are not connected in the means you are trying to connect them, perhaps another angle?" He paused, waiting for a motion to continue. Upon receiving a nod from Kuai Hua, he restarted. "I believe you said that Will was Ria's best friend?" he questioned, looking at Symon. 

"They pretty much still are." 

"Then _that_ is a connection. I have heard," he continued, glancing pointedly at Kuai Hua, "that Li Xiao Lang and the Card Mistress were close friends as well. Is that true?" 

"They have been friends since he helped her capture the cards. Nothing more, though it would be good if Xiao Lang were to love the Card Mistress. They would have powerful children." 

"Oh, I see what you're doing!" the girl sitting on the pillow exclaimed. 

"And what is that, Tana?" 

"Well, Symon was trying to connect all four of them, but with so many variables, that is too hard. What you've done is made two groups of two in hopes that is will be easier to connect them." She looked at the man for approval and he nodded. "So, now we can say that Xiao Lang and Ria are connected because they are both powerful descendants of Clow Reed. We can connect Ria's friend Will and the Card Mistress…" she looked at Kuai Hua. 

"Sakura." 

"Sakura, that's a pretty name. Because they were their closest friends at the time." Her face brightened as she finished, as though she just solved a particularly difficult math question. She sobered again as she continued, "Although this is just conjecture. It may be something different." 

"Tana, is it? And…" Symon looked at the man who had been speaking earlier. 

"Quirin." 

Symon's eyebrows lifted as he looked at the man calculatingly. Several seconds passed and finally, he nodded. "Quirin. I believe the two of you have hit on something that wouldn't have occurred to me for quite some time. What do you think of this Caitlin?" 

The girl who had spoken to Symon when he first came to finally spoke again. "It's far more progress than you've made in a long time, sir." 

Symon looked at his assistant sharply, his eyes betraying his thoughts. "It's Symon. We're all on equal footing here. Well, except maybe Li-san and she refuses formalities. I will not have you call me 'sir,' Caitlin." His voice softened as he finished speaking. 

Caitlin turned he head and looked down at his words, hoping desperately that no one noticed the exchange between the two of them. 

Of course, that was the equivalent to asking for a miracle. But fortune smiled on her and nobody mentioned it. Although Tana did make a mental note to bring it up after they escaped. 'Escape: something to lick your lips in anticipation of. We'll work on that after we've rested a bit.' As she thought, Tana moved to the young man. He was watching over a young child. 

He looked up at her as she sat. "My sister. She drained herself trying to protect a few cats and a dog. She's got a soft spot for animals." 

"What's her name?" 

"Irene. My father named her. His family was Greek – Irene was the Greek goddess of peace. She was his little angel. He always said that where she was; only good things can happen. I'm so glad he didn't live to see this. It would have broken his heart." 

Tana laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, and then leaned forward to brush a few stray hairs from the child's face. "Good things will happen again. We just have to believe that someone, somewhere, will have the strength to stop this. In the meantime. We have to rest. Tomorrow is another day and we need our minds and bodies sharp if we're to escape from here."   
  


**THE NORTHWEST**

"Oh, come on! Please, mom?" The redhead was begging and only seconds away from getting down on her knees. 

"Ria, you do realize that I'm not your mother, don't you?" The woman couldn't tell whether to be exasperated or amused. 

"Of course I do, but you're the closest think I've got to one now." Ria grinned. Mrs. Sutter had been like a second mother to her for most of her life and the both knew it. "I promise we'll behave. It'll be just this once. We'll stay trapped on this Island as long as you want afterward, but let us have just this little bit of fun." Now she was on her knees. "It's 'classics night' and my favorite DJ will be there. This may be the last chance I ever get to hear this music." 

Mrs. Sutter had to look away. There was no way she could stand her ground against Ria's pleading eyes. Especially when her real daughters were behind Ria, giving the exact same look. 

The girls, including MeiLie and Chiharu, desperately wanted to go to a club on the other side of the bridge. It was 'classics night' – Ria's favorite type of music – songs from the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Mostly, it was music that Eria and maybe her parents would have listened to when they were young. 

"Fine, you girls can go, but you can't go alone. Take Takashi with you. I expect you to come back quickly if you run into any problems." She looked at her two under-aged daughters. "No drinking. You two can consider yourselves lucky to even be on the dance floor." 

Ria jumped up and hugged her teacher. "Thanks mom." 

"You mean even _I_ can go?" Rynn questioned, not believing what she just heard. 

"Yes," the woman sighed, "Ri is right. This could be the last chance any of you will have to listen to this music. Now go! And enjoy yourselves before I change my mind." 

"If you're really lucky, Little Bird," Ria giggled as she ran off to change, "maybe Tate will let you sing. He does that sometimes. You do know the words to some of the songs he plays." 

A couple hours later, MeiLie's car pulled into a parking lot and relieved itself of six passengers. All of them looked ready to enjoy a night of dancing, but Ria looked like she belonged to another era. More precisely, she looked like she belonged to the era the music was from – five hundred years ago. This was, after all, her passion. 

She grabbed Chiharu and Takashi by the hand and dragged them towards the entrance. 

"Tenshi's just a little excited; don't you think Taka-kun?" 

"I'll say, Chiharu-chan. She's almost more excited then I've ever seen the girls back home." The two laughed as they remembered the antics of their friends in Japan. 

Inside, they were greeted by loud music and flashing lights. Like most clubs that had 'classics nights' they had trappings like disco balls and anything else that would have been used centuries ago. For many, it was a friendly place; everyone was happy to be there. 

Ria led her friends to a table near a little roofless room. As they passed crowded tables, people called out greetings of various sorts, some of which went ignored. Just as they sat down, a head popped out of the little room. "Hey Angel! Long time, no see. Didn't really expect to find you here – little far from home…" 

Ria laughed in return. "Hey Tate. Came to see you, you're the best, you know. 'Sides, we're staying on the Island for a while. It was close, so we came." 

As the two friends chatted, Chiharu turned to Takashi and said, "I guess we're not the only ones who think she's an angel." 

Tate's head snapped up. "Well, she is. She helped make me famous. Her family has a huge selection of old music – she lets me use it. And, she can sing! My best shows are the ones in which she sings a couple songs." He turned back to Ria, "That reminds me, are you ready to do _One_ again? That was amazing." 

The redhead shook her head. "I Can't. It's not the same, never will be." There was a hint of sadness in her voice as she spoke, like the song reminded her of something she lost. "But Little Bird might do it. She's got a great singing voice and she knows that one by heart." 

Rynn glared at Ria while the others at the table laughed. Tate just looked around, confused. MeiLie finally revealed the joke when she noticed that Tate didn't understand. "Little Bird is Ri's name for Rynn," she pointed to the glaring girl as she spoke. "It's because she sings so well." 

"And flits around like a bird." Sara, Rynn and Ria finished for MeiLie. 

The lights changed and one of the bartenders announced the beginning of 'classics night,' "That's my cue," Tate said as he got up. He grabbed Rynn's hand and pulled her up too. "Come with me Little Bird. You're going to be my special guest for the night. You can sing whatever you want." 

As the two disappeared into the DJ booth, the gang could hear Rynn reprimanding Tate. "My name's Rynn, not Little Bird! Don't ever call me that." 

Ria could just imagine Tate saying, "Whatever you say Little Bird." He had done the same thing to her a few years ago. She still hasn't broken him of calling her Angel. Now to top it off, Chiharu and Takashi had taken to calling her Tenshi, which she quickly found out, meant Angel in Japanese. 

"All right, M'Lie, it's time for us to show everyone here how to really dance." Ria grabbed MeiLie and Chiharu by the hand and led them to the dance floor. In return, the girls grabbed Sara and Takashi and dragged them with them. As they hit the dance floor, Tate started a song he knew Ria would love: _Born to be Wild_. 

Ria laughed, and then proceeded to lead the entire room in dancing the night away. Every now and then, Rynn would leave the DJ booth to dance, but she always went back after a song or two. True to his word, Tate had Rynn sing _One_ about halfway through the night. 

It haunted Ria, as it had for the past eighteen months. For the rest of the night, she could hear _his _voice mixing with hers from when they sang it together. Everywhere she went, the line _'carry each other'_ followed her. She sighed, wishing she knew where he was. 

The last song, _Who Wants to Live Forever_, by a group called Queen, was one of Tate's trademarks. He usually left the booth and danced with someone while it played. This night, he left his booth, kissed Rynn's hand, and then went to find Ria. They needed to talk. He grabbed Ria's hand and pulled her back to the dance floor. 

"You shouldn't have played that." Her blue eyes bore into his hazel ones. 

"Why not? It's a crowd favorite, especially when somebody sings with it. Everyone always loved it when you sang it. Of course, the best was when you and 'Dan sang it as a duet. I think everyone was floored by it that night." 

Ria flinched at the name. "That's why," she said softly, almost too softly to be heard over the music. "That was so perfect. It felt so right, so…safe and like everything was going to be okay for once. Then he left. It still hurts." She paused to take a breath before she continued. "According to Mrs. Sutter, Will and I cared about each other a lot when we were younger. Then one day, we just stopped. No one could explain it. We didn't fight or anything, we just didn't care. It affected me more than him it did Will; within weeks, he had a girlfriend. I couldn't care for anyone: it took me ages to open up to my friends again. We only know because Mrs. Sutter was locking up and protecting notes." 

She sighed, and then looked down at her feet. A small smile passed her lips before she looked back up at Tate. "It was just so perfect. I thought I had learned to love again. I had thought I was incapable of loving before that. It opened a whole new world to me; then, when he left, it was like the door had been slammed in my face. Do you know what it's like to get a glimpse or small experience of something and then be told you can't have it?" Tate could see the pain in her eyes as she finished speaking. It almost made him regret playing the song. 

"Every now and then, yes, but nothing that important. I'm sorry, Angel. I should have known you weren't ready." He led her off the dance floor and back to her friends. 

MeiLie clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "Well, kiddies, it's time to be going." Everyone groaned. "What?" she questioned, "we've got a curfew…of sorts." 

Sara grinned, "That's M'Lie for you: always the adult." 

"Well somebody's got to be. Lord knows Ria would just keep us out until next week. She likes this stuff too much." 

Under their breath, both Ria and Tate muttered, "Music is life." Takashi and Chiharu, the closest to them, heard and started chuckling. 

"No wonder Will likes you so much. You're just the mother figure he needs." MeiLie turned to glare at the offending speaker but burst out laughing when Tate interjected. 

"Oh no, Little Bird, you're got that all wrong. Being the mother hen is Angel's job. She's the one who keeps tabs on us and worries when she hasn't heard from someone in too long." 

Chiharu looked around. "Speaking of Tenshi, where is she?" 

Ria popped out of the DJ booth, her arms full of Tate's music. "I'm right here. Thought you lost your mother, did you?" The entire gang started laughing. "I'll be done packing in a few, just hold on and then we can go." 

Tate joined her in the booth and started helping her pack. "Why exactly are we packing my music, Angel? I'm not going anywhere, am I?" 

"As a matter of fact, you're coming with us." Tate raised his eyebrows to question her. Ria sucked in a breath and started to explain. "Something has started out there. Whatever it is, it's bad – I'm sure you can smell the smoke outside. It's not safe on the Mainland, so we're moving to the Island. You're coming too." She snapped his music case shut and picked up his car keys. "You'll drive Rynn and me. I'm sure that's enough to insure you actually get there." Ria tossed the keys to Tate and continues speaking, "We'll contact Will when we get back." 

There is no fighting Ria when she got like this. She really was the mother or leader of her friends; even if Mei was more responsible. "Yes sir!" Tate joked. "And what do I get in return for this service?" 

"Only the pleasure of our company." With that, they left the booth and joined the rest of their friends. There were in for a long night if the didn't leave soon. It would be full of lectures about contacting the adults and not being late.   


**JAPAN**

Sakura rolled over and took a deep breath. Her pillow still smelled like Syaoran. It had been days since he had slept in her room and she had slept in her father's office. But somehow, even after so brief a contact, the room clung to memories of Syaoran. Or maybe memories of Syaoran clung to the room. Either way, Sakura took another deep breath and let out a sigh. There was something about the shirt he had absently left behind, the scent that stayed with everything he had touched, the little notes he had written while sitting at her desk – they all invaded her and refused to leave her alone. Each one brought back a memory like the tingle she felt every time they touched, or the brief moment their lips met when he saved her life. She smiled absently as she fingered the shirt. 

Suddenly, she shook her head. 'Stop being silly, Sakura. You've got to get ready for training or else you'll be late. Besides, having your head in the clouds is not a good idea if you intend to help Adan-kun strengthen his fighting and magical skills before he leaves.' She sighed. "He's leaving in a week," she said this out loud to the empty room. Sakura was unsure whether she was happy or sad about that. Truthfully, she had been confused ever since Syaoran came back. Something _other_ than the problems in the Distant West was wrong and she couldn't pinpoint it. 

She quickly dressed in training clothes and headed for Tomoyo's house. The four of them – she, Syaoran, Tomoyo and Adan – had been training there for the past few days. Syaoran and his mother had moved to stay in the larger Daidouji house after the first night. 'That certainly spares us any more embarrassing moments.' With Adan already staying there, it was a three-to-one vote for making only one person have to walk between the two houses. Sakura didn't really mind. She used her rollerblades and enjoyed the exercise.   


"Would Sakura-chan get here already?!" Tomoyo impatiently paced around her backyard garden. 

"Sit down already, Daidouji-san! She's not even late yet, give her at least half an hour. Besides, if you keep pacing, you won't have enough energy for training and Keane here will be able to beat you." 

Tomoyo huffed, but sat anyway. "She's not always late anymore, you know. That just started again after you came back. Maybe she's been trying to avoid you all this time. That could explain her perpetual lateness whenever you're around." 

Adan laughed. His constant good nature was usually masked by a look of seriousness: he was a friendlier version of Syaoran. "Really, if you two keep up the banter, neither of you will have energy when Sakura-chan gets here. If that's the case, I'll whip you, Tomoyo-chan, and I might even have a chance of landing an attack on Li." Adan knew he was just a beginner and let everyone have a laugh at his expense. 

Syaoran and Adan got along rather well considering both had the tendency to become jealous of other males near their female friends. It was almost like Adan's jovial behavior rubbed off on Syaoran. The amber-eyes warrior smirked, he had a comeback. He opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted before he even got a word out. 

Sakura came zipping into the garden, her hair flying behind her. "Sorry if I'm late guys, I kinda spaced out on my way here," she giggled as she apologized. There was no way she was going to tell them she had been thinking about Syaoran. 

All three of her friends turned their attention o her as she gracefully skated towards them. Only Tomoyo was truly paying attention as Sakura skated straight for a rather large crack in the walkway. She was about to warn her ever-cheerful friend, but figured it was too late anyway: Sakura wouldn't be able to stop in time. Tomoyo hid a small grin behind her hair when she realized what would happen. She flicked her gaze to Adan for a second before settling her eyes on Syaoran. 'This should be good. I'll have to tape it.' 

Adan noticed hot the sunlight caught the natural red highlights in Sakura's hair. It made her hair glow almost like fire. For just a moment, he could swear he was staring at the goddess he left behind. He shook his head, knowing it was impossible. They were definitely two different girls. 'But they look so similar.' 

Syaoran had stood up and turned around when he heard Sakura's voice. As he caught sight of her, he became and remained motionless. He smiled, remembering how she looked the day he arrived. She had definitely been a sight to behold as she twirled under the cherry blossom trees. Today wasn't any different: she looked amazing. 'But, of course, she is amazing.' 

His thought betrayed nothing and he didn't fight with himself over if. The young man did, however, wonder when he started to think that. Perhaps it had been the night he slept in her room. It had been both his worst and best night of sleep ever. The whole room was filled with her aura which comforted him and lulled him to sleep. Unfortunately, it was also filled with her scent. As he breathed the sweet cherry blossom scent, images of Sakura floated past his closed eyelids, depriving him of sleep. Syaoran spent the whole night confused. Something told him that he knew Sakura was amazing before then and for a few brief seconds after seeing her, he tried to remember when. 

All these thoughts flashed by in mere seconds. An onlooker would have seen a girl enter a garden on rollerblades, then a boy stand up and turn around. Then another girl would turn to greet the first one, glance around at her friends and pull out a video camera. She could be seen aiming it at the standing boy, then focusing it on the moving girl. The forth person in the garden, if the onlooker noticed, looked up when the others turned. He had a slight smile on his face, but appeared to be lost in thought. 

Sakura's mind had kept drifting back to Syaoran as she skated to Tomoyo's house. She didn't really notice she had arrived until she saw her friends. She apologized for being late and then scolded herself for being preoccupied. 'Somebody could have snuck up on me with no problem. I have to be more careful.' As she thought to herself, she didn't see the crack in the ground. 

Her left skate got caught in the sizable crevasse. Due to her speed, she went careening through the short distance between herself and Syaoran. Before either of them realized what was happening, Sakura smashed into Syaoran, causing them both to fall to the ground. 

To anyone who hadn't witnessed the crash, their new positions would be shocking. Sakura was nearly straddling Syaoran with her hands resting on his shoulders. In return, Syaoran had his arms wrapped around her waist. Of course, the most shocking part was during the moment of impact when, once again, Sakura's lips accidentally met with Syaoran's lips. 

Syaoran slowly opened his eyes and peered up at Sakura. "Did you feel that too?" Syaoran asked, referring to the little jolt of electricity he felt when their lips touched. His voice was low enough that Tomoyo's video camera didn't pick it up, but that didn't stop both Tomoyo and Adan from catching his words. 

Sakura worked hard to get her breathing under control before she answered. 'Did I feel it? Of course I felt it! But…what does it mean?' In response to Syaoran, she nodded. She wasn't sure whether or not to continue, but after a few seconds, she moved her mouth close to Syaoran's ear and whispered, "And I think I liked it." 

Even if her camera couldn't pick up the soft voices, Tomoyo still could. As usual, she voiced her thoughts on the matter. "Cute! That was sooo sweet! And I got it all on tape. Except maybe for what you said at the end. I'll have to get you to do that part over again." 

Tomoyo's shouting brought both magicians back to the real world. After noticing how they were laying, they scrambled to get up, both turning red and apologizing. 

Hearing Syaoran apologize, Sakura protested. "No, no, Syaoran. It was all my fault. If I hadn't had my head in the clouds, thinking about a dream I had last night, I would have noticed that crack and I wouldn't have fallen on you." Sakura blushed, remembering that she had been thinking about Syaoran. 'At least I had that other dream that I can tell them about when they ask.'   


Adan, finding a way to tease Sakura and relieve some of the embarrassed tension between the Japanese beauty and her Chinese friend, decided to be the one to question. "Were you dreaming about me last night, Sakura-chan? You know it's not nice to dream about people without their permission, but I'll forgive you this time." 

Sakura blushed and then flashed her friend a grin before replying, "Oh, you might have been in my dream, but I don't remember seeing you there. You must not have left an impression. Tomoyo-chan was there, and Syaoran-kun and Eriol-kun. There was a stranger standing with us too. He had magic too, a brown aura, I think." Adan started laughing at the look on Syaoran's face after Sakura mentioned Eriol. "And there was another girl. She looked just like me, almost." 

Adan stopped laughing abruptly and turned to Sakura, his eyes wide. "When you say 'she looked just like me,' what do you mean by that? Do you mean it's the mirror card? Or do you mean there's another girl who looks almost exactly like you?" 

"She could be me, except she's not. Her aura is orange, not pink. She wears her hair differently than I do, but I expect it's quite long. I didn't see her full face, but I saw her profile as she and my dream-self looked at each other: it was the same as mine. She was sitting on the ground with Tomoyo-chan, they were concentrating on something else while I used shield and the others fought. She was quite pretty." 

Tomoyo grinned and put an arm around Sakura's shoulders. "She would have to be if she looks almost just like you. Especially since you're so pretty, Sakura-chan!" 

Sakura laughed and waved off Tomoyo's comment. Sometimes her cousin could go overboard. 

Neither girl noticed as Adan sighed and whispered, "Angel." 

Syaoran noticed and decided to ask 'Keane' about it later. 'I wonder if that's the girl Hiiragizawa was talking about,' he mused as he beckoned everyone to stretch in preparation for the day's training. 


	7. Escape

**Disclaimer:** If I owned anything, it would be a house. I sadly, don't even own the ferries (or the bridge for that matter…but that's next chapter) 

  


**_Past Incarnation_**

By Azi 

Chapter 7: _Escape_

**THE DISTANT NORTHWEST**

The sun was near to rising as two figures reached the top of a little hill near what looked to be a main highway. 

"They're not here yet," a feminine voice shot out. 

"We're early, Angel," the male calmly replied. 

The girl shot him a look as she responded. "I'm here and I'm in a dress – why am I in a dress anyway?" She scowled at the long off-white dress she was wearing. 

"Image." 

She scoffed. "I'm trained to fight, a diplomat if I must – not that I enjoy it – but choir girl I will never be." 

The boy grinned. "Calm down, Ria. You're an angel through and through and you know it. You've just got to look the part." He laughed to himself as his friend shook her head and rolled her eyes. "It's not the dress you're worried about, you know." Another dirty look went flying his way. "They're trustworthy, I promise." 

"And if they're not?" 

"If they're not?" 

"We could be leading his people straight to our friends and family. So far the Island has been safe. What happens if that safety is breached? We can't afford to be found, Tate." 

"There are more of us than of them. If they're not, we'll do what we must." 

"I won't kill. I won't have any of you kill. We cannot stoop to his level. How can we fight his evil if we resort to his methods ourselves?" 

They heard a noise in the distance and both looked to the left. They could see a car coming, slowing down as the occupants searched for the meeting place. The sun finally made its appearance behind the two figures on the hill as the car came to a full stop. 

All three occupants of the car gasped as they saw the girl on the hill. The morning sunlight reflected off Ria's hair and dress, creating a glow around her. A light breeze played with her hair, causing it to flow behind her. 

"She looks like an angel. I'm sure we can trust them." 

A male in his late forties turned to look at his daughter who was sitting in the back seat. "Tate was a friend of your brother's when they were in university. He thought much of him so there's no reason we shouldn't trust him." 

The family left the car and proceeded to climb the hill. 

Ria turned to Tate, "Three? I thought there were only two?" 

Tate looked rather sheepish as he replied. "I forgot about the daughter. Still safe though, she's a sweetheart. Reminds me of you." 

"I am not a sweetheart." Tate snorted in response to Ria's statement. 

The two stopped talking as the family reached the summit if the hill. Tate stepped forward to greet the newcomers. "Mr. Keane, Mrs. Keane," he shook their hands, "Ayla." The girl blushed when Tate nodded at her. Ria bit back a comment about his being a charmer – this wasn't the right time. "Glad you could make it. You're right on time. This is Tenshi," he motioned to Ria who nodded, "it means 'Angel' in Japanese." 

The girl now identified as Ayla whispered, "I can see why," then gave Ria a timid smile in response to the small one Ria gave her. 

"You will refer to her as such until you have earned the privilege to call her by her real name." Ria's small smile was replaced with a scowl as Tate continued. He almost laughed when he noticed. She had put a good fight, but had been out-voted on the issue. 

Before Tate could continue, Ria interrupted. "I have a few questions, then I'll decide if you come or stay." Mr. and Mrs. Keane nodded for Ria to go on. Ria's eyes flicked to Ayla and back to her parents. "She's adopted, isn't she?" 

Tate looked surprised. 'That wasn't one of the original questions.' 

Mrs. Keane studied Ria for a moment before responding. "Yes she is. How did you know?" 

"Later." She held her hand out to Ayla, "Come here, will you?" After a few seconds hesitation, the girl walked to Ria and took her hand. Ria knelt down in front of her, not caring if she got the dress dirty. "How old are you?" 

"Almost twelve." She was rather timid for her age. 

Ria smiled at her again, "Just what I thought. Don't worry kiddo, we'll get you someplace safer than here." 

Ayla relaxed a little, knowing that Ria wasn't as strict as she appeared. "But what about-" her eyes drifted to her parents as she left her question hanging. 

"We'll see love, I've got more questions to ask." With that, Ria stood up and faced the two adults once more. "Do you believe in magic?" 

This time Mr. Keane spoke up. "If you ask about party tricks and such, then no. If it's the more unexplainable things that we consider rather mystical, then yes. Both our children have been involved in things we can't explain even with science. Besides, the first Decision Makers were picked with magic and up until now, there have been no problems with that system." His wife clasped his arm and looked up at him proudly, showing both Ria and Tate that she agreed with him. 

Ria acknowledged the answer with a nod before asking her final question. "If I told you that I had the power to give you anything you wanted – power, money, a farm on a hill, whatever – what would you ask for?" 

Beside her, a voice whispered, "To know about my real parents," and pulled at Ria's heart. She gave Ayla's hand a squeeze and thought 'soon.' 

Mrs. Keane gave her daughter a sad look before answering, "I want only to know that my children and happy and safe." 

Her husband placed his arm around her as he added her response. "The only thing I regret is not paying enough attention in history class. I suppose I would ask for the resources to study the history of our country and perhaps the rest of the world." 

Ria tensed. "Why?" 

"There's so much that has happened to our world that we don't know about. I just think that if we knew about our past, we would understand ourselves better and we could learn from our ancestors' mistakes." 

Tate nodded to acknowledge the answer, "Honourable." He looked to Ria for their next move. 

"Let's go, shall we? I need to get out of the…" Ria's eyes flicked to Ayla before she continued, "dress. Besides, the sun's definitely up. If we don't hurry, Little Bird will throw a fit." Ria started leading Ayla down the hill to the car. 

As they made their way to the base of the hill, Tate sighed. "I still can't believe 'Mother' let Rynn come. She knows darn well that this is dangerous." 

"She also knows darn well that our Little Bird is strong. Stronger than Sara and near as strong as Will or I. Besides, you know rather well that when she makes up her mind, there's no changing it. Now chitling," Ria's attention switched to the girl beside her. "Where will you sit? I happen to prefer the passenger side. Cars and I don't get along." 

Ayla smiled up at her, "I'll take middle. That way I can sit between you and Tate." She was still a little shy, but Ria knew that once she met the other girls, that would change. 

Once everyone was seated in the car, Mr. Keane turned from the driver's seat and asked for directions. 

"Head for the ferry terminal." 

"The terminal's closed, isn't it?" 

Ria's voice changed from commanding to a tone of relative innocence. "Oh, right. It is." She didn't say any more and the Keanes waited for her to expand on her comment. 

The ensuing silence was interrupted by Tate's laughter. "What she means is that she does know that the terminal is closed and that's still where we are headed." 

At Tate's words. Mr. Keane started the car and headed for their destination. 

Ria leaned against the window before sucking in a deep breath. "Tate?" His head jerked up to look at her. "Did I ever tell you I had an older sister?" 

"No, I don't believe you ever did." Tate was only partially surprised since very few people knew much about Ria at all. She liked her privacy. 

"Yes, well she was my parents' first mistake. There's a long line of this particular mistake – goes straight back to Eria. Always girls. They weren't quite married before she was born. They always held it against her. They planned for my brother. I think I've told you about him?" She paused and Tate nodded. "Yes, I thought so. I was the second mistake. They had their son and they were happy. They hadn't planned on another child. There were miffed when they found out I was a girl. We seem to cause more trouble. 

"Anyway, when I was little a distant relative came and claimed to be my protector of sorts." Ria grinned. "His last mane actually was Reed. It seems there are a few left still. He was a couple years older than my sister. They became rather close." She caught Tate's questioning look. "My line is so many generations of daughters from the Reed line it's like we're not even related." He nodded and she continued. 

"So when I was about nine or ten and she was sixteen, they got a little carried away. Our parents decided to be hypocrites and kicked her out. She packed up and left without even saying goodbye to Symon. She wrote to me often; told me not to follow or tell anyone where she was. We had a method of send letters that didn't need addresses. 

"Months later, she told me I had a niece. She put her up for adoption and kept in contact with the family that adopted her. I received pictures for years. The last ones I got were from near six years ago. She sent me almost two dozen pictures of the girl's sixth birthday party. Then everything stopped. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find her or my niece. There was never any word or announcement, but I knew I would never see her again." 

Ayla tugged on Ria's arm when she stopped talking. 

"What is it chitling?" 

"Do you still have the pictures?" 

"Of course I do. I'll show them to you when we get to the Island." 

"Did your niece look like you?" Ayla was very curious about this little girl. 

"No Ayla, she looked just like her mother and she still does." Ria's final comment confused Ayla a little but she settled into the comfortable silence and even allowed herself to be lulled to sleep after they boarded the ferry.   


**THE DISTANT WEST**

It had been weeks since Symon and his companions had been shut up in that room. They managed to free themselves on the third day by using a combination of magic and brute force. They were careful to make sure not to mortally wound any of their captors – both Symon and Kuai Hua were adamant that they not stoop to Belen Nawat's level. 

They had been on the lam ever since and had witnessed much of the devastation that corrupt leaders could cause. People lived in fear that their towns would be the next target. The air was this with smoke as whole communities were burnt to the ground. Those captured were be forced to perform manual labour or were trained to fight. 

Still, the small group of escapees managed to find help in remote places. There were many areas that had avoided damage. One village told them the story of how their families saved them by hiding half the population. The other half left willingly and their homes were spared. That particular village became a safe haven for refugees. 

Along the way, the group had picked up several traveling companions. Many had magical abilities and wished to escape the fate waiting for them: join or die. Others had managed to escape labour camps and knew that getting caught meant a fate worse than death. Belen Nawat may be insane in their opinion, but that didn't mean he was clueless when it came to torturing people. If anything, it made him worse. 

They traveled towards the East Coast in cars they had picked up along the way. They took different routes at different intervals, always trying to appear inconspicuous. When asked why they didn't aim for an island off the West Coast since it was closer Symon merely answered that, "They are there." 

His answer left many confused refugees in his wake, but Kuai Hua voiced her approval noting that, "Maybe meeting the girl will help to solve the puzzle." 

Finding that all roads crossing the border to the North were closed, they headed toward a ferry terminal that, after crossing, would put them no more than six hours away from the Island – a place that Symon deemed safe. If they were lucky, they could catch another ferry to a neighbouring province and cut their time to the bridge by a few hours. 

Symon's car was the first to arrive at the terminal, only to find that the ferry was nowhere in sight. The driver and other passengers sighed in frustration, wondering what they would do now. Symon motioned for the others to remain in the car while he left to talk to a man he had noticed. 

He approached carefully, not knowing if the man was friend or foe. He made sure the man knew they meant no harm before speaking. "May I ask when the ferry is due back?" 

The man appraised Symon, the answered, "Stays on the other side now. Only crosses for special trips." 

Symon's eyes narrowed. "What kind of special trips?" 

"More like for special passengers." Symon raised an eyebrow, urging the man to continue. The man sighed, "Fine, you have to answer two questions correctly in order to cross." 

"Skill testing?" 

"Character questions." 

Symon nodded. "Go on then. Ask me, then summon the ferry. We're waiting for quite a few people, but they should all be here by the time the ferry crosses. I'll make sure everyone cooperates if you feel the need to ask everyone." 

"A'ight then. First question: do you believe in magic?" 

A smile slid onto Symon's as he made the parking lot look like a field of wildflowers. "How could I not?" 

The man nodded, "Pretty impressive illusion. If I let you cross, you'll be an asset to the cause." He paused for a few seconds to collect himself. "Okay, if I told you I could give you anything you wanted, what would you ask for?" 

Symon restrained laughter as he answered, "I would ask to see my daughter if even just once." He looked to the man for approval and was relieved to see that he accepted that answer. "By the way, it's 'If I told you I had the power to give you anything you wanted, what would you ask for?' It helps to give suggestions like power, wealth and fame too." He gave in to his desire to laugh when he saw the man's gaping jaw. "It's an old family question used to find trustworthy strangers. It's good to know that Ria's protecting her borders." 

"Right, well don't tell Tenshi I got it wrong and I'll let you off for laughing." The man himself was laughing and shaking his head as he entered the terminal to call for the ferry.   


**JAPAN**

The cherry blossoms were nearly off the trees that Sakura passed on her way to Tomoyo's house. It had been a month since Adan had started making arrangements to go home and his substitute had finally arrived yesterday. Sakura was on her way to wake her friends up before they took Adan to the dock to see him off. 

Sakura let herself in and crept silently through the halls, aiming to surprize her victims. She shielded her aura to ensure that Syaoran didn't notice she had arrived. No one was awake to notice the smirk on her face as she opened the door to Adan's room. She slid in between the door and the frame and quietly shut the door behind her. It took two steps for her to cross the room and before she could say 'Clow Cards,' she was bouncing on the bed, trying to wake Adan up. 

"No Ayla, it's too early. Let me sleep a little longer," Adan mumbled in his sleep as he rolled away from the shifting indentation in his bed. 

Sakura stopped. "Adan-kun." She shook his shoulder rather roughly as she spoke. "Hey Adan-kun, wake up. Who's Ayla?" 

Adan rolled over again as he answered even though he wasn't entirely conscious, "She's my little sister, Sakura." He paused, then one eye opened, followed by the other and then he blinked a few times. "Sakura, you're on my bed." 

Not at all embarrassed, Sakura agreed with him, "Yes, I am." 

"Why?" 

"Well, if somebody didn't wake you up, you might miss your ship and who knows how long it would be before we could arrange passage on another one for you." 

"Right. Well, in that case…" Adan's statement drifted off as he wrapped a sheet around himself then picked Sakura up from the bed and deposited her on the other side of the door. 

"What was that for?" Sakura demanded as Adan shut the door in her face. 

"If I don't get dressed right away, I could be late." 

Sakura could only stutter in response as she realized that she had been on his bed – beside him – while he was wearing next to nothing, and with the door closed, no less. It was a good thing no one noticed, otherwise she could be in for a lot of – 

"Here for an early morning rendezvous?" Syaoran smirked at Sakura as he caught her being dumped outside Adan's bedroom door. 

"Hardly," Sakura bristled for a moment, but decided not to let Syaoran get the best of her this morning. "I was merely waking him up. You were next on my list, you know." 

Syaoran took a step closer and leaned against the wall in front of her. "Really? And how were you planning on waking me up? Perhaps a nice massage? Or maybe you were going to jump on me." 

Sakura sucked in a shaky breath before flashing a teasing grin and quipping, "I was thinking more along the lines of Watery. Now, since you're already awake, let's go deprive Tomoyo of further sleep." She gently shoved Syaoran away from her and walked past him on her way to Tomoyo's room. 

Syaoran only laughed as he placed an arm around Sakura's shoulders. Both were unconscious of their actions as Sakura leaned her head on Syaoran's shoulder and he tightened his hold on her. "So does that mean you love Keane more than you love me? Really, jumping in bed with him while only pouring water on me." 

"I just wanted to see you wet. Besides, who said anything about love? Now be quiet or we'll wake Tomoyo before we mean to." They fell silent as they walked through the corridors until Sakura couldn't take it any longer, "And I didn't jump in his bed, I jumped _on_ it." 

"Better be quiet Sakura, or we may wake Daidouji-san." Unfortunately for Syaoran, he didn't notice the fist aiming for him until it actually hit. 

While Syaoran was distracted, Sakura slipped away from him and slowly opened the door to Tomoyo's bedroom. She paused before entering and turned to look back at Syaoran who noticed she looked a little uncertain. 

"What's wrong, Sakura?" Syaoran questioned as he joined her at the door. 

"Something just doesn't feel right," Sakura shook her head as she continued, "never mind though, let's just go in." 

Sakura and Syaoran finally turned their attention to the interior of Tomoyo's room to find Tomoyo sitting upright on her bed with her eyes closed. Sakura rushed to her friend's side and attempted to wake her. 

"Tomoyo? Come on Tomoyo-chan, don't scare me like this. Wake up, please." Sakura was shaking Tomoyo gently as she spoke but it didn't help. She stepped back and looked at Syaoran with desperation plastered all over her face. 

On instinct, Syaoran stepped closer to Sakura and pulled her into an embrace as he tried to calm her. "It's okay Sakura. She's probably just seeing something and will snap out of it when the vision's over." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Absolutely. Look, she's smiling now. It must be something good." 

A knock sounded on the door and Adan's voice called out, "Hey Tomoyo, have you seen Sakura and Syaoran?" Adan entered the room as he asked and immediately noticed the state Tomoyo was in. 

"She's been like that since before we tried to wake her up." Sakura's shaky voice gave away that she was still worried about her friend, regardless of Syaoran's assurances. 

While the two young men focussed on calming Sakura, no one noticed when Tomoyo's stiff body relaxed a little and her eyes opened. 

"They made it." 

Three heads snapped towards the bed, all eyes wide open as if they couldn't believe they just heard Tomoyo's voice. 

"Tomoyo! You're okay!" Sakura flung herself at the bed and practically landed on Tomoyo. 

"Sure, she jumps on everyone's bed but mine." 

Adan turned to Syaoran with a wry grin, "Jealous?" 

Syaoran shook his head, "Of course not, she wanted to see me wet." 

"Sakura!"Tomoyo shot her best friend a surprised look. 

"I was going to use Watery to wake him up, that's all. Anyway, what did you mean by 'they made it?'" 

"Oh, the people I had that vision about before…you remember?The ones who escaped from that room." Tomoyo paused to wait for everyone to acknowledge remembering. "Well, last night, they finally got to a safe place. Or if it didn't happen while I was watching, it will soon enough. That means a whole group of people escaped the terror in the Distant West." 

"Good. Now if you don't hurry and get dressed, we'll have to leave without you. I'm not about to miss this opportunity to make sure my family's safe." Adan left the room as he finished talking. Sakura followed him out while dragging Syaoran behind her.   


A couple hours later, the four friends stood on the dock Adan would be departing from and watched as the crew loaded the last few crates in one of the cargo bays. The adults had already said their goodbyes and were currently eating breakfast. 

"Well, I guess this is it." Syaoran and Adan performed the handshake they developed – at Adan's insistence – then Syaoran took a step back as he continued speaking, "Don't forget to practice on a regular basis. Remember to meditate. Oh and continue to work on your –" 

Syaoran's string of reminders was cut off as Sakura pushed the boy backwards and started her own goodbye. "Take care of yourself, Adan-kun, we want you back in one piece…preferably dry." She hugged Adan,then pulled away a little. "I hope your family is okay and in a safe place. Be careful, please Adan-kun." Sakura turned to join Syaoran, but was pulled into another embrace. 

"You're so much like her, it's amazing Sakura." Adan tucked a few stray strands of hair behind Sakura's right ear and shook his head to Sakura's silent question of 'who?' "Maybe one day I'll tell you all about her and you can meet her – if she survives." He let Sakura go, then turned to Tomoyo, who had approached while he was talking to Sakura. 

"She'll be fine, you know." Adan's gaze snapped from behind Tomoyo to her eyes. Tomoyo stared back steadily as she continued, "If she's anywhere near as much like Sakura as you say, she's a fighter and she'll be on her way back home when it's all over." 

Adan muttered, "With her shield or on it," mostly to himself, but Tomoyo heard. 

"What does that mean?" 

"It's just something I remember her saying when her friends walked into a battle of any sort – even verbal. 'Come back with your shield or on it.' It comes from Ancient Greece. The women of Sparta, I think, would say it to their husbands when they left during wars. If they came back without a shield, it meant they dropped it while fleeing from the enemy. I suppose it means don't back down or maybe fight to the end." Adan looked over his shoulder as the man beckoning him to hurry up before turning back to Tomoyo. "I have to go. Take care of them Tomoyo, and I'll see you all in a few months." 

Tomoyo leaned forward and gave Adan a small kiss on his cheek. "Travel safe and be careful when you get there." 

Adan smiled, "Always." 

Tomoyo joined Syaoran and Sakura as they waved to Adan before he turned around and boarded the ship. The three of them stayed on the dock to watch as the ship cast off and ended up staying until it was out of sight. 

When the ship finally slipped out of sight, Syaoran turned around and grabbed both girls by the hand. "Now we train some more." He started walking, pulling the girls behind him and ignoring the fact that the girls were walking backwards.   


"Syaoran-kun, I like seeing where I'm going, please." 

"Sorry about that, Daidouji-san." Syaoran dropped Tomoyo's hand which allowed her to turn around. 

Sakura frowned, "Hey, what about me? I don't like walking backwards either." 

"I have plans for you." 

"What sort of plans?" 

Syaoran turned Sakura around so his arm was on her shoulders again and whispered in her ear, "I was thinking we could go get something to eat before we started." He turned his head to look atTomoyo, "How's breakfast sound?" After he spoke, he noticed that Tomoyo wasn't paying attention. "Daidouji? Hey, Tomoyo!" 

Tomoyo snapped out of her trance and shook her head. "Sakura, promise me you'll stay away from bridges for a while, will you?" 


	8. Their Saving Grace

**Disclaimer:** My meagre possessions do not include the characters borrowed from Card Captor Sakura, their likenesses or their home towns. The author by no means encourages the destruction of public property and will not be held responsible for planting any idea that can be found in a variety of movies and, probably, several widely available books.

_**Past Incarnation**_

By Azi

Chapter 8: _Their Saving Grace_

**Japan**

"She was skating fairly quickly, and then for some reason, she stopped and crouched. When she stood back up, she started skating even faster than before. Just before she reached the end, there was an explosion…so much fire."

The scene played over and over in Tomoyo's head as she described her vision. She could clearly see the auburn hair flying behind the female figure. It was dusk – not quite dark but late enough that outdoor lights were on. It wasn't a bridge she remembered seeing but then again, she hadn't been everywhere in Japan yet. And then the explosion... it was loud, as though there was more than one and the bridge started to fall away. The resultant ball of fire was huge. What bothered Tomoyo was that all explosives were strictly monitored.

"Why would Sakura be on a bridge that was being demolished?" Tomoyo looked up and saw the questioning looks on her friends' faces. "It wasn't as accident. It was intentional: there was more than one charge and the all went off at the same time. So the question is: why was Sakura on that bridge?"

Syaoran played with the remains of his breakfast for a few seconds before asking what was on his mind, "Are you sure it was Sakura? You did say it was getting dark when it happened. Maybe it wasn't her."

Tomoyo shook her head. "There's a chance it wasn't but, she looked so much like Sakura. I saw Sakura's profile; she had Sakura's hair, even Sakura's body. Maybe Mirror but why? I can't come up with any reason you or Mirror would be on a bridge that was slated for demolition. I just don't get it."

"What if – what if it wasn't me?" Sakura, too, had a good portion of her breakfast left. They had all lost their appetites as Tomoyo related her vision.

"But that girl looked so much like you."

"I know but, do you remember that dream I had the day I tripped?" Sakura paused to let Syaoran and Tomoyo catch up with the memory. When they both nodded, she continued, "There were two of me but, one had an orange aura. She looked so much like me, she could have been my twin or a mirror image but, she wasn't. She was different, from somewhere else."

"So you think the girl from Tomoyo-san's vision is the same girl from your dream? That would make sense in a way. You did say it was a bridge you've never seen before. It could be because that bridge isn't in Japan at all."

"I still think Sakura should stay away from bridges. I mean, just in case it wasn't that other girl." Tomoyo stopped talking in order to take a bite but, ended up dropping her food back on her plate. "Is there any way we can warn her?"

Sakura thought for a few seconds before shaking her head. "If we knew who she was – her name, something – we could but, I don't have a destination to send a letter to like I do with Eriol and none of us can communicate across distances any other way. Even then, we'd still need to know something about her other than that she looks like me and was in your vision." She sighed. "I hate this. Sometimes knowing is worse than not knowing. I feel awful that you have to see something like this, Tomoyo." Sakura pushed her plate away and slid out of the booth. "Enough of this, we should train, it'll help us focus."

Syaoran climbed out of the booth after Sakura and the reached back to help Tomoyo stand up. Before they left, he placed enough International Currency on the table to cover the barely touched meals and a healthy tip. He felt sorry for the waitress who had to clean up behind them.

They were quiet on their way to the Kinomoto residence. Each was carefully collecting his or her thoughts and trying to sort through the information the access to. When they reached the intersection where Sakura had almost been hit by a truck, she stopped as though this time she _had_ been struck by something.

"Tomoyo-chan, tell us more about the refugees who made it to safety. Once they got to the East Coast, what did they do? Where did they go?"

Both Tomoyo and Syaoran shot Sakura a puzzled look. Sakura returned their looks with a blank face that meant she wouldn't tell them what she was thinking until she had something to back her up. Finally, Tomoyo relented with a sigh and spoke up.

"I do wish you would let me know what you are thinking, because then I could focus my attention on what you want to know."

"I told you what I wanted to know. Tell me where they went and how they got there. You start talking and I'll let us continue on our way."

Tomoyo shook her head and smiled, Sakura always did have a way to get what she wanted. "They went to a ferry terminal." She looked at Syaoran, then at Sakura, and then down. "The ferry wasn't there. I worried for them until the Brown one turned the parking lot into a field of wildflowers. The man he was talking to said something about 'Tenshi' before he turned to call for the boat."

Both Sakura and Syaoran looked surprised as Tomoyo mentioned the Japanese word. Of course there were Japanese speaking people all over the world, but English with its mutations was the official International Languages. This had nothing to do with the former superpowers of destruction and more to do with the language that Eria spoke when she addressed the world. In a rather natural progression, English became dominant and most other languages fell into the background. As far as they knew, 'tenshi' hadn't been assimilated yet.

"Someone from Japan is working in their resistance." Syaoran motioned for Tomoyo to continue as he mulled over that idea.

"The Brown one and the ferry man asked everyone a couple questions before pointing in one direction or another. When they were done, about a dozen people got in cars and drove away. The rest boarded the ferry."

"They decided," Sakura interrupted Tomoyo's story, "who could com and who had to stay based on a couple questions?"

"Character questions," Syaoran answered. "The Li clan has a couple of their own. They help you determine the answerer's intentions. We use them mostly in times of uncertainty but, occasionally we use them to decide if we can trust someone who will have access to the family."

"So how come I never had to answer them?"

"You're the Card Mistress." Syaoran answered as though that was all that needed to be said.

Tomoyo let out a huff that gained the attention of her two companions. "If you're quite through with the question and answer period, I'd like to continue with my recount before I'm too old to speak." A wave of the hand from Sakura motioned for Tomoyo to continue.

"When the ferry docked on the other side, the Brown one made them stop to rest for a while. After they got back in the cars, they drove along the coast – I'd say North but, I don't think that's quite right – until they came to another ferry terminal. They crossed again there. It was almost like they were backtracking. Everyone was a little tenser than when they got off the first ferry. And the people they passed were even more wary.

"Eventually they came to a bridge. Everyone looked relieved when they saw it. I think they knew that safety was on the other side. It took then ages to cross; I guess it was a very long bridge. I saw toll booths at the end but, they passed through without paying the toll. They drove to a town that looked more like a camp ground or something like it. That's where they stopped and when I woke up."

Tomoyo had seated herself on the bench in Sakura's training ground. In front of her, Sakura and Syaoran started on their stretches while she finished her story. Sakura looked up while still warming up and stretching.

"Compare your bridges for me, Tomoyo-chan. At least think about it while I find Syaoran in my maze." Behind Sakura, a maze of shrubs and other plant life grew tall enough to hide Syaoran's head. Sakura turned and ran in, leaving Tomoyo to think about the two bridges she had seen in her visions.

**The Distant West**

Evison paced the room feverishly. His steps were careless and quick. His face was contorted so that he no longer resembled the somewhat fresh faced boy he always presented for pictures. At this moment, Evison Stuart looked savage from tip to toe. Most people would have cowered from the youth that looked like the personification of wrath, but not Belen Nawat.

Belen sat back, almost relaxed – although he could never pull off couch potato – as he watched his protégé pace furiously. At the moment, Belen likened Evison to a volcano close to eruption. The elder man was merely waiting for the younger one to spew his verbal lava so they could get beyond the temper and actually deal with the problem.

Finally, Belen grew tired of waiting. He did, after all, have things to do. "Out with it Evison; we haven't got all day." His voice was that of an impatient man used to having his own way.

The young Decision Maker spun on his right foot to face his mentor and fellow Decision Maker. "They're gone Left the country! Vanished like a square of clean sidewalk in the trade cities!" Belen raised an eyebrow at the analogy but said nothing. "How did this happen? The borders were closed. No one could pass!" This time Belen rolled his eyes: everyone knew there were ways around closed borders. "You said they wouldn't pose a problem and now…now they're probably joining some rebel group up North. Seven people with magical abilities... We can't afford to lose any."

Seeing that Evison was losing some of his thunder, Belen held up a hand to interrupt. "I will decide what we can and can't afford to lose. Those people were a liability either way. They're better off where they won't infect the minds of our other recruits."

"I had plans for that Symon! Who does he think he is? A foreigner stealing one of our council seats!"

"Well enough you had plans, now you need to move on. All seven on them would have turned on us if given the chance. We should have killed them before they had the chance to escape. We will make up for that error in judgement."

"How, sir?"

Belen eyed Evison and wondered if maybe the boy was best put to work as a puppet, not a plotter. "Quite simple: If they have gone to hide in the North, we will search under every rock and tree until we find them. We will leave our mark behind us and make sure that not one of those polite idiots dares to think of defying our rule. We already destroyed their most powerful magician; their Decision Makers will be next."

The fierce gleam in Belen Nawat's eyes was enough in itself to equal or even best Evison's contorted face and frantic pacing. In fact, Evison himself found it a look he could barely take before cowering at least a little on the inside.

**The Distant Northwest**

It was not quite dawn on the Island when a string of vehicles pulled to a stop beside a make-shift campground. A few people woke enough to slip out of their tents to great the newcomers in a defensive circle. Those who had spent the entire night working on protection plans were oblivious to the going-on outside.

Symon exited his car and motioned for the refugees to stay behind him. He regarded the defensive wall of people around him in a calculating manner before he spoke. "I wish to speak with whoever is in charge."

A few people near the front raised their eyebrows as one voiced their thoughts, "It's a little early in the morning for negotiations, is it not?"

"We didn't quite plan the time of our arrival, it just so happened that our timing is less than spectacular. Please, I need to talk to whoever is in charge as soon as possible." Symon watched as those in front shifted uncomfortably while others behind them moved aside to create a path.

Just as the path reached the open area in front of Symon, a young voice rang out, "You've woken me up, state your business and be quiet about it. We have people sleeping here."

Symon bit back a laugh as he examined the blonde five-year-old in front of him doing a perfect imitation of Ria. "You, chitling, are a little young to be in charge. Is there no one else awake to speak with I know she's here, I _can_ feel her, chitling."

Hannah straightened her back and stuck out her chin. "I know who I am and where I stand. Now state your business or leave. As I said, we have people sleeping here and I will not allow you to wake them." Hannah knew the wrath of Ria and didn't want to see it until after she had a full stomach.

"You may know who you are, chitling, but I have been away for many years. I am curious to know how you behave almost exactly like my charge and yet look nothing like her."

At this point Kuai Hua stepped forward to stand beside Symon. She examined the child for a few seconds and then smiled ever so slightly. "Usually children respect their elders, child of Eria."

Hannah's resolve wavered for a moment before she squared her shoulders and answered, "I've been told which adults I'm to respect and which I'm to lead in the absence of the others." She then turned to Symon, "Mt aunt has been teaching me for years. She is my guardian now."

Symon narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the little girl once more. "You're not really her niece, are you? Your name, child." Though said rather gently, it was enough to make Hannah deflate just as Symon had sunk a little when he realized who the child's mother wasn't.

"No, she's my cousin, though at this point, she may as well be my mother." Hannah turned to her left and motioned for Symon and Kuai Hua to follow her. She led them to the conference tent that had been vacated just a few hours earlier. The little girl climbed on a chair and sat herself on the table with her legs crossed.

Kuai Hua and Symon sat in front of her and waited. Symon figured that if she was anything like Ria – which it seemed she was – then she would get to things on her own time. Sure enough, once they were settled, they felt a weak barrier form around the tent. Assuming that the girl was trying to shield their conversation from prying ears, Symon added a little strength to the shield.

Hannah nodded in approval as she stuck her hand out, "Hannah."

Symon smirked at the action, remembering that Ria did the same thing when she met him. "Symon. Where is Ria?" he asked as he shook her hand.

"Sleeping," Hannah answered as she turned to Kuai Hua who introduced herself as, 'Li Kuai Hua of the Li clan in China.' When Hannah looked back at Symon, she could tell that he was wondering why Ria was sleeping when several cars full of strangers had invaded her camp. "At dawn yesterday, she was in the middle of rescuing a few people from the Mainland. She hasn't slept since dinner the day before and she just went to sleep a couple hours ago. Don't think she's purposely being lax with security."

Both Symon and Kuai Hua were astounded by Hannah's vocabulary and demeanour which surpassed those of a normal five-year-old. What they didn't know was that Ria had arranged for Hannah to be temporarily aged so she could handle the responsibilities she'd have until they could safely return to their homes on the Mainland.

"Let her sleep then, child." Kuai Hua seemed understanding of the situation. "We came to find sanctuary for the refugees we brought with us. All have answered the questions and are willing to work to protect themselves and the others here."

Hannah thought for a few minutes and then returned her gaze to the two adults. "You vouch for them?" Symon resisted rolling his eyes as he nodded in response. "Then there is a hotel near here that will give you space for the night. Take them there and let them rest. Tell them we will make other arrangements for them when Tenshi awakes." This she directed to Kuai Hua. To Symon, she simply stated, "You stay."

Once Kuai Hua had left, Symon watched as Hannah lost her business face. "Now what's the matter chitling?"

The girl smiled slightly, "Aunty Ri calls me that too." She slid to the edge of the table in order to examine Symon more closely before speaking again. "Your magic feels like Aunty Ri's a little, but it feels more like the girl she brought back yesterday. She's almost twelve and Aunty Ri pays more attention to her than to me." Hannah's eyes started to tear a little as she remembered the rejection she had felt earlier.

'I knew there was a child in there somewhere,' Symon thought as he wiped the girl's tears and pulled her onto his lap. "Hey, hey, I'm sure that Ria doesn't mean to leave you out, chitling. Now tell me all your troubles and maybe we can figure out who this girl is Han-chit." Symon tugged on one of Hannah's curls eliciting a giggle as he continued, "I think I know but, I'll have to talk to Ri first. How many hours before you'll let me wake her?"

"At least two, She gets cranky when she doesn't get enough sleep."

"And what, pray tell, was she doing not sleeping for almost thirty-six hours?"

Hannah sighed, "First they went over plans for going to the Mainland. Then they went and did things she didn't tell me about before they rescued the girl and her parents – they did that at dawn. After the got back, she told the girl stories and then came here for meetings. The last one was about protecting the Island. You're tired too, you should nap."

An hour and a half later and unable to sleep, Symon crept from the tent Hannah had shown him to. He noted that there were more people awake now as he silently walked to the tent he had been told was Ria's. He slipped inside and gave a smirk when he saw that Ria still slept with nothing but her hair showing above the covers.

In an attempt to wake her the normal way, Symon kicker her feet and called for her to wake up. She responded by rolling over and pulling her legs up while mumbling something about Will being an idiot. This turned Symon's smirk into a full blown grin – some things never changed. For his second attempt, Symon pulled her blankets off while snapping, "Eria, get up. You've got responsibilities to deal with."

Ria reacted to this by sitting up and grabbing her blankets back while spitting out, "I am not Eria." When she registered the voice, she opened her eyes and focussed on the man in front of her. "They're dead then, are they, Esymon?"

Symon nodded. "The news came through a few hours ago. There was an attack on the Capitol last night that took out both Decision Makers, chit. You know what that means, Eria, don't deny who and what you are. You've been next in line since you were little; it's time for you to step up."

"No," Ria shook her head, "there are so many others; why not one of them? Why not you? I'm not ready for something as big as this. Leading a bunch of refugees is one thing, but you're talking about leading an entire family the size of the Li clan in China. I can't. Please, _Esymon_, someone else."

"I'm sorry, chit," Symon said as he pulled Ria into a hug, "there's nothing I can do about it. They chose you based on strength, character and potential. You've been marked for leadership much like the Li clan's Xiao Lang, only he knew what he was being trained for. Out of respect, you're Eria. I get the pleasure of continuing to just be Symon." As Ria opened her mouth to speak, Symon stopped her with a, "Don't argue. Now get dressed and face your responsibilities."

That afternoon the Island shook with explosions as dock after dock was blown to pieces. The only dock left standing was the ferry terminal to the Rock – the only other remote and safe area on this coast. All airstrips and landing pads were torn up to prevent any air traffic from landing. By suppertime, the only access from the Mainland was the bridge built just over two hundred years ago.

The plan was to take out the bridge around nightfall. That gave them almost four hours to set all the charges and clear off the bridge. A few people had volunteered to take two of the cars and return to the Mainland as 'intelligence officers.' Their first duty would be to set the majority of the charges on the way back across the bridge. After that, they would scatter through the two closest provinces to gather what information they could and protect the locals from the fate of their neighbours to the South.

Ria spent hours working on codes and making sure her intelligence officers knew ways to get information back to her while all around her, the land trembled. The last thing she did before eating was to add a touch of magic to the gold bands made to be worn as bracelets. They were already magicked it detract attention and protect the wearer. Ria's magic gave the bracelets the ability to adapt to the wearer's wrist so they can't be lost. It served the dual purpose of connecting them to Ria so she could contact these people like she did with Hannah and her close friends.

MeiLie made one last check of the card to ensure they had everything the needed before she strapped on a set of rollerblades. She and Ria would be setting the charges on the first section of the bridge while those in the cars would cover the last two thirds.

Symon had tried, unsuccessfully, to convince Ria that she should not put herself as such risk when there were so many people depending on her. For the most part, his arguments fell on deaf ears as she ignored him while she worked with her intelligence officers. When she finally did give him the time to argue, she simply stated, "I won't ask anyone here to do something I'm not willing to do myself," and turned her back on him.

While Ria strapped on her own skates, MeiLie went over the plans with the others one more time. Her responsible nature was practically screaming, 'you can never be too sure.' It wasn't like they were expecting a mountain of troubles to appear out of nowhere, she just felt that maybe quadruple checking would ensure that everything would go more smoothly than planned.

The camp was eerily quiet as four cars left for the bridge after dinner. Everyone understood that they may never again see half the people who left that evening. Even those on clean-up duty had dropped everything to bid their companions farewell and then stayed to watch long after the cars had disappeared from sight. Slowly, in groups of twos and threes, the camp returned to their duties until the only people still standing there were Kuai Hua, Ayla, Caitlin, Mrs. Sutter, and Hannah.

Ayla had overheard enough to know that something dangerous was going to happen while the others were gone. She looked up to the adults and asked, "They'll be back, won't they?"

Mrs. Sutter looked down at Ayla as Caitlin wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders. "Of course they will," she replied, "at least those that are staying here will be."

"And Tenshi?"

"Aunty Ri will be back with her shield or on it but, knowing her; she'll come back with it balancing on her head." Hannah spoke as though she were an authority on all things related to Ria, the refugee's Tenshi.

Ayla looked confused, "What do you mean" She didn't have a shield when she left, none of them did."

"It's a saying, dear." Mrs. Sutter replied. "It's been in the Eria line for generations. Some people say Eria herself used to use it. All Hanni means is that Angel will face whatever she has to and overcome it." The woman started to lead the girls back to the tents but, only succeeded in turning Caitlin and Ayla.

"How does the little chit know so much? She got to be only four or five."

The women were so tired that they didn't notice Ayla's use of Symon's and Ria's favourite term for children.

"You'd be like that too, if you grew up under Angel's influence. She's been teaching Hanni since before the child cut her first teeth, though I suspect Angel has magicked her a bit to advance her abilities until things have calmed down. On top of that, Hanni's bright and she picks up concepts easily. I expect you'll be the same…your magic feels similar to theirs."

**In The Cars**

Ria sat with her eyes closed as she concentrated. "Symon, Symon, Symon. You'd better be listening. Why on Earth didn't you give me a warning that you were coming?"

Two cars back, Symon closed his eyes and responded to the voice in his head. "It rather slipped my mind. Why? Did I scare you?"

Ria laughed lightly before silently replying, "Of course not, I just would have set up a welcoming committee."

"I believe we got enough of a welcoming from your Han-chit. She's very much like you." Symon paused for a moment, wondering if he should ask now or wait for a better time. His curiosity got the best of him as he asked, "About Ayla, is she-"

"Yes, she is. The Keanes, you met them, adopted her. They're very protective of her so tread lightly."

"And Maria?"

Ria flinched, but she had known that question was coming too. "Six years ago. Let's not talk about this here; I need to focus on getting this done." Ria abruptly broke the connection before Symon could say anything more.

* * *

Four cars pulled up to the booths at the start of the bridge. The two in the rear turned and blocked the road to prevent anyone else from crossing to leave the Island. The other two paused as though bracing themselves for something difficult before starting the final crossing of the historical bridge. The cars drove side by side, ignoring all the lines painted on the road.

Nearly one third of the way across the bridge, the car on the right stopped to allow MeiLie to get out. After shutting the door, she bent down and placed an object on a support. Then she turned and skated back towards the Island while the car continued on its way to the Mainland, stopping further up to let someone else out for a few minutes to plant another explosive. The car on the left stopped halfway between the other two rigged points and waited long enough for Ria to exit and shut the door before taking off again. Ria copied MeiLie's previous actions before turning around and skating back towards the Island, herself.

For the entire length of the bridge, the teams planted the explosives alternately, hoping in the end that enough of the bridge would be at least too cratered to be passable. The plan had been devised to ensure that the cars would reach the Mainland first and the stand guard to keep people off until Ria and MeiLie reached the Island and triggered the explosives. Ria had made sure that MeiLie would be back first simply because she could not ask someone else to be the last person on a doomed bridge. It just made her feel better since scientific communications could be tracked and magical communications took too much concentration. It made it easier for Ria to know where everyone else was if they were safe before she was. They had developed an emergency signal just in case those on the Mainland couldn't keep someone from trying to cross but, Ria prayed to every god she knew that they wouldn't have to use it.

Ria stood up from placing her last explosive and whispered one last plea that the emergency signal not come. She started skating hard as she saw MeiLie reach the toll booths. Then it came: a large magical crack split through the air, much the way thunder would as a light shot up from the Mainland, intensified by the magic that activated the flare. Ria swore under her breath and skated harder as she counted to ten. The only other thought going through her head was the hope that she would be far enough away when they set the explosives off.

Symon saw the flare and cursed. He knew something like this would happen. Behind him, he heard someone counting to ten as MeiLie panted in an attempt to catch her breath. His eyes remained glued to Ria as she sped up. He noticed the look of fierce determination on her face and knew she was concentrating hard on getting far away before everyone reached ten. At nine, she was at the toll booths. At ten, she was passing them. A second later, the silent night roared as flames jumped into the sky and pieces of concrete and metal flew through the air. Ria felt the heat behind her as she skated towards Symon and MeiLie and she knew she was lucky she was still on her feet.


End file.
